When it's All Said and Done
by Brittany Diamond
Summary: This has, in no particular order, abusive stepmothers, Jareth character development that’s screwed up by one moment with Sarah, anger and sexual tensions, a huge mistake, Jareth’s family, a couple of plot twists and more. JS. RR please! Rare strong lang.
1. Chapter 1

**The Journey Home**

Disclaimer: I don't own jack having to do with Labyrinth so don't sue me.

Side Note: Stay with me through the first couple of chapters, it's setting up the story and all that lovely stuff. There's plenty of J/S to look forward to, I promise. I just didn't want to have one of those all fluff no substance fanfics. (Don't get me wrong, I love fluff, but I love story too. Hopefully this fic will make that obvious.)

**Chapter One:**

The prison bars across the door's window cast shadows across his pale face as he watched his captive sleep. A flicker of a grin tugged at his mouth for moment, but he straightened his expression into a mock professional one as he reached for the door handle with a black-gloved hand and pulled. The door opened toward him, and the creaky iron woke up the young girl. He let the door close shut behind him and pretended to fix his poet shirt and gloves while his prisoner rubbed her eyes. Upon seeing who had entered her cell, her eyes widened and she pressed her back into the damp brick wall, her knees coming up to her chest.

He had to fight back another devilish grin. "Honestly, Sarah, after everything we've been through together you still can't be pleased by my entrance?"

Her vision narrowed. "Everything we've been through?" she snapped, her tone cruel and unforgiving. "_I've_ been through a changing maze, an oubliette, a bog, an escher room, a forest, a goblin city, and the cleaners. During that time I had an arrogant, conniving, lying, stubborn, childish King screwing with my mind. Since then I've only had a year to try and forget everything about that conceited ruler while somehow losing the ability to communicate with the few friends I made while down here. Now all of the sudden I've appeared in a dark cell and slept on a mattress. _I_ went through all that. _We_ have gone through nothing."

He had listened carefully to every word she had spoken with the same knowing look on his face. His eyes glinted with mischief as he casually stepped toward her and knelt down so their eyes were on the same level. She pressed herself deeper into the stone wall as he leaned in closer, their noses only a couple of inches apart. He could tell she had grown since their last meeting, she met his gaze more than evenly. But in the fierceness of her stare he could still see a trace of the girl he had come to be fascinated with. The girl who yearned for an adventure so badly she wished her brother away to make it happen. She would never admit that a secret part of her endangered Toby to quench her thirst for fantasy, but they both knew it.

He lowered his voice to a gentle whisper. "You never mentioned the ballroom, Sarah."

Flames sparked in her green eyes at the mention of how close she came to giving in. After another moment of heated silence, she gave in at last and looked away, her cheeks flushing to a gentle pink.

"I was under a spell." she insisted, her vision fascinated with the ground.

He moved in to where his mouth was almost close to brush her ear. "The peach made you dream, Sarah, it had no influence over your actions."

He had to smile as she visibly shivered from his warm breath spilling over her neck. A crystal sphere appeared in his right hand. He held it up in front of her vision, and as he moved the sphere, her gaze followed it until he made her look him in the eye once more. A brief image of the dancing in the lavish ballroom appeared in the crystal and caused her face to blush deeper. Then the orb vanished, and they were left alone.

"I brought you here to see if you mind had changed." he said, his voice only hinting at disappointment. "But clearly it hasn't."

"For once your assumption is correct." she replied, her words still venomous.

He let out a small sigh and stood up, backing away only a step or two before speaking. "I offer you Heaven for a second time and you still refuse? Toby is not in harm's way anymore, Sarah, your choice will only affect you. Are you sure you don't wish to reconsider?"

Did his question come with a hoping and desperate expression? She looked down for a moment. No, he was only playing mind games again. It was all he knew how to do.

"The last thing I want is you," she stated with a flat, unforgiving tone. "You wasted your time bringing me here."

Her voice had been so merciless that, for a moment, he thought she might be joking. After a few seconds passed, however, she didn't retract her answer. He reluctantly gave in to defeat, but kept his calm, cool attitude like her decision didn't bother him at all.

"Very well," he began, one last glimmer of hope coming to mind, "If you hate me so much, you know what to say to earn your freedom, you've done this before. Go ahead," he dared, "say it and be rid of me."

She didn't even hesitate. "You have no power over me."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

Sarah cranked up the volume on her stereo to block out the world as she danced towards her vanity mirror. My Sherona by The Knack was now blaring as loud as it could go and even then she still thought it was too quiet. When she got to her mirror she glanced over her outfit. She still wore jeans most of the time, but she had traded in her poofy blouses for plain tank tops and wifebeaters. Tonight she had opted for a white wifebeater simply because they were more comfortable to her and she was past the stage where she had to impress Alex every second of every day.

Picking up her favorite dark red lipstick, she applied it like a pro. Back when she was a teenager her make up always looked clownish, but now that she was 23 her appearance was always damn near perfect. As she finished with the lipstick and reached for her eyeliner, she heard the faint sound of her step mother yelling. She pushed the barely audible words from her mind and continued to get ready. Tonight she was going to forget all about her parents and just concentrate on Alex.. They had met during her first year at college and he was everything she needed. That was back when her father and step mother had started to go downhill. Her dad had discovered that his new wife hadn't been totally faithful, which ignited a huge conflict that lasted weeks. Even after things calmed down her parents never trusted each other again. Now her step mother was always sneaking a drink of alcohol whenever she could, and her father had become addicted to certain websites on the internet. During the decline of her family, Alex had been there after every cruel word and confrontation to calm her down and give her confidence. Three years later he was still caring for her and loving her like he always had been.

That's what she needed now. Sarah finished her make up and reluctantly turned off her stereo. When she left her room, the volume of the arguing voices increased dramatically. She straightened her posture at the top of the stairs and promised herself to just get out of the house as fast as possible to avoid getting dragged into the fight.

She made her way downstairs and into the foyer. Keeping her head bowed so her long, dark hair covered her face, she was five feet away from the front door before she heard her step mother enter the room.

"Where in the hell are you going?" she demanded, leaving her present fight to start a new one.

Sarah turned and, in her best innocent voice, replied, "I'm going to meet Alex."

"Like hell you are!" the stepmother yelled, somehow astonished that a young girl would want to go out for the evening, "You get your ass up there and study _right now_!"

Sarah's eyes ignited and her short fuse hit the dynamite, "I have A's and B's, I can relax for one night!"

"Leave the girl alone!" her father called from the dining room, "You're too drunk to make any sense, Karen."

Her stepmother turned on her heel and marched back towards her husband. Sarah was out the front door before she could hear the slew of expletives that rained from her parent's mouths.

She ran to Alex's old blue Firebird and jumped in. They didn't speak until they were miles away and parked in an old alley where no one ever went. Shuddering from sobs, she snuggled up closer to the man she loved, gripping his jacket as fresh tears fell from her eyes.

"It's been the same since we met," she said, her voice shaky and weak, "only now Toby's gone off to boarding school and Karen's been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver. Why has my life become shit?"

"Shhh..." Alex said, smoothing her hair and holding her close, "None of this has ever been your fault. Everything's gonna get better, Sarah. Once we graduate, we're gonna get married, move away, and start a new life. I don't want you to be in pain anymore I love you too much to see you so depressed all the time."

She looked up into Alex's honey brown eyes and felt the need to cry slowly subside. He had always had such a calming affect on her that she wondered if he had put a spell on her. If that had turned out to be true, she would have left him instantly. Her experiences with magic in the past hadn't been pleasant.

She hadn't thought of the Labyrinth in years, but as she stared into her fiance's concerned gaze she couldn't help but think of the last time she saw Jareth. Even after a year had passed since she defeated him he was still the same conceited ruler. But there was something in his mismatched eyes after he dared her to speak the final words that stayed with her even now. Over the years she'd convinced herself that he was just a very clever actor, but deep inside her mind she knew what she'd seen. Dread. His eyes had been full dread and fear in that moment. His voice had been nonchalant and his manner had been calm, but his eyes reflected an overwhelming dread of rejection. But why? All he wanted was another slave he could turn into a goblin. What was so special about her?

"Sarah? You left Earth for a second there."

She snapped back to reality and sat up, pushing Jareth from her mind just as she did her parents. "Sorry...It's just been really...difficult lately."

He nodded in understanding. "You don't have to apologize. I'm always be here for you, Sarah, you'll never have to be alone again."

Overcome with gratitude and love, she threw her arms around Alex's neck and kissed him deeply. Even with her world lying in ruins at her feet, she still had him, and that was all she cared about.

Craving a release from her thoughts, she kept kissing him as her hands went to undo his pants. He felt her touch and pulled away for a moment.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his eyes concerned. "Is now really the time?"

Her only reply was a smile she felt was a truly happy one.

After their soft lovemaking, Sarah ran her fingers through her hair to make sure she appeared natural. It wasn't as long as it used to be, but she still let it grow a good length past her shoulders. He drove her home, and as she climbed out of Alex's car, he leaned over the passenger's seat and looked up at her.

"Stand up for yourself," he advised, "your last year of college doesn't have to include being a doormat."

She gave him a small grin and said goodbye. He drove off as she walked up to her front door, breathing deeply and preparing herself for the worst. Alex was right, she needed to grow a backbone if she wanted to survive another year with her parents. She set her jaw and walked inside, ready to stand up against whoever she had to.

She wasn't prepared for what she saw.

Karen was chasing Sarah's dad around the house with a broken vodka bottle, her fingers bleeding. Both were yelling so loud she wasn't sure if they were speaking English. She caught Karen's eye and as the crazed woman moved toward her, she froze.

"You little whore!" Karen spat as her blood dripped to the floor and stained the rug, "You're the one who made him like this! All he ever cared about was _you_ and you're stupid acting. It's your fault he's so fucked up. All he ever loved was you! Why don't you just fuck him and get it over with!"

By now Karen had backed her stepdaughter up against the front door, waving the bottle around and splattering blood on Sarah's shirt. When Karen reeled back to attack, Sarah ducked and covered her head as she heard glass shatter and felt sharp rain fall into her hair. She blindly charged forward while she was bent over and ended up tackling her stepmother to the ground. As Sarah scrambled to her feet to escape up the stairs, she felt Karen kick her shin and send her toppling forward. She didn't take any time to recuperate. Sarah got to her feet and sprinted up the stairs, running into her room and slamming the door behind her. She wedged her vanity chair under the door knob and collapsed to the floor. Tears burst from her eyes and she hugged her knees to her chest. She only had a moment of peace before she heard her stepmother start to pound on the door, screaming and yelling at the top of her lungs.

She bent her neck forward so her forehead rested on her knees. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shut out her stepmother, not this time. She tried to console herself with the sound of her own voice.

"It's alright. She wont get through the door. She wont get through the door. She's not strong enough." She heard wood splinter. Panic flooded her veins and clouded her mind. Still trying to comfort herself, she said the first thing that came to her mind. "I wish the Goblin King would take me away right now."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

The moment she realized the words she had spoken, her stomach rotted and sank to the floor. When she felt the atmosphere change around her, her mind went blank. She stayed huddled in her protective ball, too terrified to look up.

Suddenly, several coarse voices were talking at once, but not to her, to each other. She knew those voices all too well.

_You...are such...an idiot..._

She slowly raised her head, but kept her eyes squeezed shut. The last thing she wanted to do was face the inevitable, but when she felt a bony finger poke her in the ribs and ask if she was a creature she'd never heard of, she couldn't hide from it any longer.

Sarah peeked around the room through one eye. She knew the room all too well, with its many shelves and the lounge pit that she was in the middle of. This was where she had bid farewell to her friends before facing Jareth.

She was back in the Underground.

"Hey there, little girl," a female goblin taunted, "you look lost. You run away from home, little babe?"

She opened her eyes and looked to her right. A short little goblin in a dirty dress was staring straight at her. Acting on her first impulse, Sarah leapt up and dived for the door.

Sarah burst through the door and slammed it shut with her body. She slid to the floor and tried to think. How the hell was she supposed to get out of here? She wasn't even sure how she escaped the _first_ time she found herself in the Underground. Her thoughts raced a mile a minute, searching for some sort of solution. She stared down the long hall trying to come up with an idea that wasn't totally ludicrous.

After a moment, one of the many doors in the hall creaked open. Sarah realized two things at once: She was fully exposed to anyone trying to move about the castle, and if Jareth saw her here she'd be in an unimaginable amount of trouble. She had to hide _now_. Just because she thought this didn't mean her body wasn't frozen and incapable of action. All she could do was watch the door on the left side of the hall open and reveal a figure. She practically burst out of her skin when she saw it was Hoggle. The little goblin looked her way for a moment, then did a double take.

"Sarah?" he said in his hoarse voice.

"Hoggle!" she yelled, running towards him and sliding to her knees to hug him. They shared a warm embrace until he pulled away and looked at her with an expression of escalating worry.

"You can't be here, Sarah." he said quietly, "Who knows what he'll do if he finds you here. How did you get here without Jareth's help anyway?"

She wanted to know what Hoggle meant by 'Jareth's help' but at the moment she was too paranoid about being seen. "We need to talk someplace safe."

Without replying, he led her down the hall and into the grand foyer where to staircases led off to the right and left. He took her quietly up the right set of stairs and snuck her into a small, plain room with a bed fit for a goblin in one corner and a little armoire in the other. A small round window looked out over Goblin City but they weren't quite high enough to see past the Landfill. Hoggle shut the door and kept his back against it. Afraid of breaking the old bed, Sarah sat on the floor beside the window.

"Tell me why I would need Jareth's help." she said, pulling her knees to her chest.

"In order for someone from Aboveground to make it down here, they gotta possess magic. They don't need much, but people in the Aboveground don't got any. So in order for you to have made the trip here by yourself, you would need either magic in your veins, or Jareth's help."

With everything that had happened, she was trying to keep her mind focused so she wouldn't breakdown and lose it. "Who says Jareth didn't help me? I..." she hesitated, realizing the embarrassing truth she was about to reveal, then thinking _what the hell_. "I...specifically asked for him to bring me here."

"Now why would you go and do something stupid like that?" he asked in a non-insulting manner.

She couldn't help but sigh. "It's a long story. Just answer the question, please."

Hoggle didn't reply right away as if what he was thinking about saying could land him in the Bog of Eternal Stench, then lowered his voice to answer her. "Jareth didn't torture himself forever. After you refused him a second time, he locked himself away in his room for a year and only demanded goblin wine. No one spoke to him, and he only ate a bite or two of the meals that were shoved under his door. One day he suddenly seemed to snap out of it. He came out of his room a completely different Fae. Until then he had let the kingdom sort of rule itself. But after that year he took charge of the land and everything that happened in it. He stopped ruling by fear and started ruling by authority, which I can tell you are two very different things. He's always busy now, either with business or women from a neighboring kingdom. He changed so much that he even let me have a job at the castle as if I hadn't helped you at all. I only took the job 'cause he had been doin' such a good job with the kingdom and all. " He paused, not sure if he should go on or stop there. He chose the former. "...He also forbid any mention of you ever again. To say your name would not only lead to a swim in the Bog, but also a life sentence in the Oubliette. You see, Sarah, he couldn't have helped you come here because...he's forgotten you."

She stared at her friend, her mind blank and confused. "You're talking as if him forgetting me is a huge deal. I was a girl he couldn't change into a goblin. A game he lost. So why would he spend a year torturing himself over it? You're not making sense, Hoggle."

His jaw dropped at her reply. "You have no idea, do you?" All this time I thought Jareth was rambling when he told me before shutting himself in his room, but he was serious."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, massaging her temples to fight back her impending migrane.

Before Hoggle could answer there was a stiff knock at the door. The goblin's eyes widened with fear as he motioned for Sarah to get behind the door. She did as she was told, pressing her back against the stone wall. Hoggle dusted himself off before turning the lower of the two knobs and opening the door wide enough to hide Sarah. Peeking through the crack between the door and the wall, her heart sank into her stomach.

Jareth stood in the doorway in all his glory, silent and expecting something. "...Well? Did you get the message to my brother or have you failed me once more, Hoggle?"

Sarah was surprised to hear the King call the goblin by the correct name, but Hoggle didn't seem to be impressed.

The goblin tried his best to hide his nerves. "Ah, y-yes, your majesty. Of course I did. He said he's having some trouble with food spoiling, but once he gets that settled he'll send a message saying when he'll be able to visit."

There was a moment of silence from Jareth, then, "Is everything...alright? You haven't stuttered in a very long time. I'd hate to have to stop trusting you, what with your past and-" He decided to cut himself off and waited for a reply.

"No sire, not at all. Just tired I suppose." Hoggle's voice was now dangerously near the breaking point.

There was a minute of pure quiet with suspicion so thick it was choking the life out of Sarah. At last, Jareth spoke.

"Very well then. Are you coming to the meeting or are you too...tired?"

"Yes, sire. Of course sire."

A moment later the door was closed and Sarah let out the breath she had been holding. The Goblin King did seem very different from when she had first met him, but that meant little. If there was anything the King was good at, it was sly deception. The only thing she cared about was getting out of this mess and back to Alex as soon as she could. It pained her to think of how worried he must be.


	4. Chapter 4

Side Note: This isn't going where you think it's going, trust me. It's not another "let's do the Labyrinth again" fic. I promise.

**Chapter Four:**

Sarah was woken from her place in the corner in the early morning by small hands shaking her. She rubbed her eyes and stretched, her stiff back popping several times.

"Now is the perfect time to go." Hoggle whispered urgently, bringing Sarah into full alert. "He shouldn't be awake yet."

Ignoring her still-lingering fatigue, she stood up and followed the goblin out of his room. "Where are we going?" she asked in a hushed tone.

"The library." he quietly replied as he led her down the hall and up a small, tucked away staircase. "If there's way to get back Aboveground without Jareth, it'll be in the library."

Hoggle ushered through the door at the top of the stairs, quickly closing it behind him. Sarah looked around the medium-sized room with an almost disappointed expression.

He saw her face and said, "You don't even want to be here and you're still gonna judge the place." He sighed. "If it makes you feel better, this is the where all the rare and important books are stored. The regular library is ten times bigger than this."

"_Oh, Hoggle."_

The goblin reacted to the voice instantly and waved Sarah to the back of the library. She barely had the chance to duck down in the corner before the King of the Goblins appeared, fortunately, with his back to her.

"I woke up this morning and thought about your behavior last evening," Jareth began, his voice growing more insinuating with every passing second, "and decided to check on your whereabouts just to make sure you weren't doing something stupid like betraying me. And what do I find in my summoned crystal? You in my private library without permission. I'll ask you one last time: is everything alright, or must I be forced to drop you in the Bog?"

"No sire, it's nothing like that." Hoggle replied, the desperation in his voice thick and undeniable.

Jareth began to turn away. "You see, Hoggle-"

"Sire!"

But it was too late. Jareth's eyes landed on Sarah and his face fell. The room went deathly still as his stare sent ice and flames through Sarah's veins. The King took a step toward her, his body rigid.

Hoggle tried to distract him. "Jareth, I can expl-"

"Shut up Hogget." The King said, his voice low and husky.

With a wave of the Fae's hand, the goblin disappeared. Sarah reacted instantly, standing up and walking toward the King with anger and hatred in her eyes.

"You bring him back _now_!" she demanded, stopping to stare him down a foot away from his royal form.

He gazed at her in utter shock, as if he was in front of a ghost. "...Sarah."

She ignored his, no doubt, fake stupor. "_Bring him back_."

When he waved his hand and she found herself back in the same cell she had occupied years ago, she let out a coarse scream of frustration and threw herself at the door, banging her fists on the cold steel. After a moment she realized it was hopeless to try and pound through metal and sat on the bed, cursing herself for being so unbelievably stupid.

About half an hour later Sarah was snatched from her cell in the blink of an eye and found herself in the throne room once again. The change had caught her off balance, and when she steadied herself she saw Jareth sitting in his lavish seat in his usual attire, studying her with an unsure expression.

Placing his hands on the armrests and crossing his legs he seemed to break the silence with great care. "...Why are you here, Sarah?"

With no time to think of a decent lie, she had to opt for the truth. "It was an accident. My stepmother was attacking me and in a weak moment I blanked out and wished to be taken away. I never meant to come down here. Just take me back and we can forget this ever happened. This doesn't have to become a huge ordeal." She remembered her friend who could be in danger. "But before I leave I want to see Hoggle to make sure he's alright."

He thought for a moment before replying, as if he was unconfident, which she had never seen in him before. "It's not that...simple."

"And why not?" she retorted without thinking.

He grinned slightly, and she realized how childish she had sounded. The odd moment passed and he went back to his strange expression that she couldn't quite read.

"The last time you were here," he began, rising from his seat, "I made a second offer, something I never do. Without hesitation you turned me down-"

"-and said the words that let me return Aboveground." she finished with growing excitement. "That means all I have to do is say the word and I'm gone! Why didn't I think of this before?"

He let out a small sigh. "You understand so little."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"The words are nothing, Sarah."

She went to give her automatic response, then registered what he had said. "That's ridiculous. _Both_ times I said the words I went home. You're just trying to manipulate me like you did when I was younger. I'm not a little girl anymore."

He began to slowly advance toward her. "_I_ took you Aboveground when you said the words. I did it because both times, in your mind, it was the final way to tell me you didn't want me. Look at what happened after the Escher room so long ago. The deal was for you to make to the center of the Labyrinth. You had already won your brother's freedom when you jumped off the ledge. The offer I made before you quoted the book was independent of your brother's fate."

"Independent of my...what are you _talking_ about? I didn't want to give in and make both my brother and myself you _slave_, and I never will. Just show me Hoggle and take me Aboveground before you trick me into giving myself up."

Something changed in the King then. His uncertainty melted away with his softness. He stopped stepping toward her and looked her over, everything in his body language screaming frustration.

"You may have grown into a woman," he said with a lethal tone, "but you're still the same child from years ago."

She set her jaw and stood her ground. "I won't be baited into an argument. Show me Hoggle and take me home. I want to see Alex."

His brow furrowed. "Who's Alex?"

Her tone was fearless. "My fiancé."

"You wish to return to your _precious_ fiancé?" he asked, eyes narrowing.

"Seeing as how he's more of a man than you'll ever be, yes."

His shoulders tightened and he clenched his fists. Sarah knew she had hit a nerve, but she had no idea how deep it had been.

He spoke again, his voice now deadly and threatening. "Hoglin is safe, you have my word, but if you want to see _precious_ Alex, I suggest you start walking."

Her stomach turned. "What do you mean?"

He unleashed a devilish smirk. "You have twelve hours to get out of the Labyrinth or you belong to me. No Huggle, no Ludo, no Didymus. Just you...against my kingdom."

She remained brave. "I've done it before, Jareth. I can beat you again, even if the words mean nothing."

"Dear, sweet child," he said in a taunting voice, "the only reason you made it to my castle the first time is because I wanted you to."

"What are you talking about?"

"Is that your new favorite phrase?"

"Answer the question."

He closed the gap between them and softly gripped her shoulders. "There are so many things you are unaware of. One day you just might force it all out of me. But not today. You have less than twelve hours now, Sarah, run to your _precious_ Alex."

With that, he vanished, and Sarah ran out of the castle, fury readying her for whatever the Goblin King had in store for her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five:**

Sarah charged into the Landfill just outside Goblin City's walls about to burst out of her skin. She thought if she could concentrate solely on walking, she wouldn't have to make sense of what just happened. Climbing over everything from broken furniture to rotten food, she made it about half a mile before her head hurt so bad she had to sit down to clear her thoughts.

Her confusion wasn't about being back Underground, that she could stomach. What really perplexed her was the confrontation she just had with Jareth. All of it was just so _bizarre_. He was calm, tentative, mysterious at first, then when he saw that act was getting him nowhere he went right back to the old Goblin King she knew so well. But why the charade in the first place? After all these years was he still trying to win her? If he was half as powerful as he pretended to be he would just turn into one of his minions with no questions asked. Instead he had to play a dirty little game that he had full control over to boost his ego.

Dammit, that man frustrated her to no end. Still, the lengths he went to when she was fifteen and the lengths he would undoubtedly go to now took too much time and effort to just be written off as his typical actions. So what was so fucking special about her? Why did he care about making her a goblin so much? BY now her migraine had stiffened her neck and shoulders, making it much too difficult to progress over heaps. She was searching for a space to lie down when she heard his voice.

"_Resting so soon, are we?"_

Her eyes narrowed. She was not in the mood to deal with a pompous king. Ignoring him, she went about clearing a place where she could sleep off the headache. He appeared in front of her so suddenly she almost bumped into him. Her first instinct was to back away, but she wouldn't dare give him the satisfaction of seeing her cower before his presence.

"You can't leave me alone for five minutes, can you?" she stated, planting her feet and glaring up into his eyes.

Jareth casually placed his hands on his hips. "I just noticed that you were taking a break; something you never did the last time you were here. Might I ask why?"

She didn't feel like going through the usual witty banter. "I have a headache from thinking about a million things at once, alright? I was just going to lie down and sleep it off. That doesn't bother you, does it, your royal highness?"

He didn't grin at her sarcasm. "If it's relief you seek, I can offer it to you."

"No." she snapped instantly. "All you've ever offered me has been a trick."

"Oh, when have I ever tricked you?" he demanded lightly in that easy, taunting tone he was famous for.

She went to give her answer, but couldn't come up with one right away. After thinking for a moment, trying to remember every second of her adventure eight years ago, she recalled the only real trick _he_ had put her through, but the last thing she wanted to do was bring it up. Looking into his smirking eyes revealed that the only reason he had asked the question in the first place was so that she would go back to that place in her mind.

Back to that peach.

Back to that ballroom.

Sarah clenched her jaw in frustration. His question hung in the air, begging to be answered. She had no choice but to give him what he wanted. If she lied, he would know it, and press her until she gave in. Her head hurt too much to go through all that bullshit.

"The peach." she said, her stare cold and murderous, "You tricked me into forgetting Toby."

"And look how you chose to forget Toby," he murmured, leaning in closer to her, "by dancing with me."

Her breath went shallow with the closeness of his body. "You _made_ me...dream that."

"No, Sarah, I didn't. You chose your dream. You called me to join you in your dream."

"I...had to look for you."

"I only revealed myself to you when I knew you wanted me to."

"Then I snapped out of it."

As soon as she spoke those words, she realized what was going on. Not waiting another instant, she took a step back and slapped him across the face. "You bastard!" she swore, her rage building with every passing second.

Her hit had forced him to look away, and he hadn't redirected his sight yet. Slowly, he brought a gloved hand to his pale left cheek and felt the burning skin where she had left her mark. When he looked back into her eyes, his expression knocked the wind out of her body. His hauntingly beautiful gaze was filled with such sadness that she almost reached out to hold him. A moment later, however, his face morphed into one of blind rage.

"You're still a girl." he said, his voice thick with venom. "A conceited child who thinks everyone's out to get her. Wake up and look around soon, Sarah, or it will be too late."

Before she could speak, he was gone.

Jareth gripped his wrought iron bed post, his body trembling. He fought with every ounce of strength he had to remain calm. He'd almost told her everything twice now, but she was so goddamn stubborn and naive that he lost his temper before he could bring himself to explain his actions. Why was she so convinced that everything he ever did was for his own personal gain? He didn't know how he could make his intentions any more obvious than they already were. His behavior around her couldn't be helped, it was who he was. He loved taunting her, saying the perfect thing to make her squirm with the idea of being held by him. The way her cheeks would flush at the thought of him near her gave away what she wasn't even aware of yet. But whenever he tried to bring it all into the light, she would backpedal so fast it left his head spinning and his nerves worn.

"And now this fiancé..." he muttered to himself, his grip on the post tightening.

He was now in danger of losing everything he ever wanted _again_ because of some mere mortal _boy_ named Alex. How could she think more of a human than of a Goblin King? Nothing made any sense anymore. The whole situation had become so convoluted that any course of action he thought of seemed awkward. This was the only time in his life he wanted something that was always just out of his grasp. The first time she was too young to understand his offer, the second time she had already made up her mind that he was pure evil who couldn't stand to lose at anything, and now she still held the same opinion of him _and_ there's some little boy who's convinced her he can make her happy.

"If you only knew my reasons..." he said, letting go of the post and leaning up against it.

His thoughts began to center more and more on Sarah's precious fiancé. Who was this child, anyway, and why was he more appealing than a ruler? What could he possibly have said or done to prove to her that his motives were pure? From the way Sarah spoke of him, her heart already belonged to the human named Alex. The thought of her lost to a mortal twisted his stomach into wrenching knots. He wanted to see what he was up against, wanted to know the face of his rival. He summoned a crystal and let his command flow into the orb.

The image that materialized sent ferocity and disgust slicing through his heart.

The crystal was crumbled to dust at the hands of the irate King.


	6. Chapter 6

Side Note: Much thanks to Krystal Klear and batteredchild, I really appreciate your opinions and support. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, it's a doozy.

**Chapter Six:**

Sarah ended up not sleeping amongst the garbage. Strangely enough, her migraine had subsided during her last run in with Jareth. She marched over the Landfill more confused than before and, until the King stopped by earlier, she didn't think that was possible.

Coming to the edge of the forest an hour later, she realized how much easier it had been when she was making the journey with her friends. Whenever Ludo, Sir Didymus, and Hoggle had been around, somehow her weariness always stayed manageable. Being here now without them brought tears to her eyes. She learned then that an adventure alone is no adventure at all, but a trial instead.

Just as the Landfill's horizon had been covered with trees behind her, she stopped in her tracks. She knew this place all too well. Straightening her shoulders, she kept her eyes forward and began walking at a more hurried pace. She could practically taste the peach rot in her mouth as it had done years before in this very spot. Why was she so afraid to remember the ballroom? A gnarled tree root didn't give her the chance to answer her own question. She stumbled over it and pitched forward, her hands flying out to catch herself. All she ended up catching was a fistful of fabric.

It took a moment to realize her face was in the chest of her enemy, who had his arms around her from breaking her fall, but when she did she pushed herself free and staggered backward. She regained her balance and glared at the intruder.

"Hello, Sarah," Jareth said, shifting his weight onto his right leg. "You're lucky I decided to drop in."

"What do you want?" she inquired with a curt tone.

He studied her for a moment as if he was searching for something. She noticed an odd way about him after briefly glancing him over. His demeanor and attitude were the same as always, but there seemed to be danger in his eyes. She could see darkness behind his veil of arrogance. He was furious about something, but reluctant at the same time. With this observation in mind, she decided to just remain patient and wait for his reply.

His casual manner had underlying tension. "I was sitting in my castle, watching your progress, when I realized I'd never seen your precious fiancé." He saw her eyes flare up. "Calm down, all I did was take a look into a crystal to see what the great and powerful Sarah considered to be more of a man than I am."

"He's given me strength for years, which is more than I can say for you."

His shoulders tightened. "Would you like to see your dear Alex?" he inquired, his sneering tone echoing in her head.

He tossed her a crystal and turned his back as if the last thing he wanted was to watch what the orb would reveal. She held up the precious stone and peered into it. Alex's charming smile appeared. The sight of him filled her with such relief that she had to fight back tears.

What she saw next froze her body from head to toe.

Her beloved fiancé was with, not one, but _two_ other women. They drank beer, laughed, made out and acted like they had no cares in the world. When the three began to disrobe, she couldn't watch anymore. The crystal slipped from her hands and bounced to the ground, rolling away from her. Hearing the crystal drop, Jareth turned, his features contorted by anger and pain.

"Do you see now, Sarah?" he began, his voice low and rough, "What you loved was nothing but a boy."

Her blank expression narrowed into one of intense hatred. "How...dare you." she growled.

She charged without warning, screaming and punching with wild, blind rage. He caught her hands and turned her around, wrestling her into a grip and holding her tightly against his body.

"You'll do anything, won't you!" she yelled, her voice cracking as she struggled for freedom. "You'll tell any lie, kill anyone until you've had your way! You were threatened by a human but too much of a coward to kill him, so you tried lying to me to get me to hate him! I don't hate him, I hate _you_!"

He let her go. She turned to attack him, but was stopped by what she saw. She'd never seen him look at her that way before. His eyes were filled with such overpowering sorrow that she knew he couldn't be acting. Her eyes widened as his gaze welled up with tears.

He blinked them away and fought to keep looking at her. "I can't do this anymore."

She was so stunned her words came out in a whisper. "Do what?"

He walked to her and took her bare hands in his surprisingly gentle, gloved touch. "Everything you've ever thought about me was wrong." He visibly struggled to continue. "I found you during a trip Aboveground. There was something in you that inexplicably...captivated me. I watched you every so often, acting out plays or studying yourself in the mirror. When you called for me to take your brother I knew you secretly did it in hopes for an adventure you seriously doubted would happen. I gave you that adventure. Everything you wanted, I provided. I took some cues from things around your room and made certain that your journey wouldn't be disappointing. When you finally conquered my Labyrinth, and I knew you would, I couldn't let you go without offering you my world. I had to know if you wanted me, and I presented myself the best way I knew how. I felt certain you would accept me, especially with what happened in the ballroom, but you couldn't see all I was willing to give.

"After you went back Aboveground I tried to find someway to bring you back so I could explain and try again. Once I did, I saw you had made up your mind about me, so I let you go. I spent a year alone, speaking to no one and trying to figure out where I'd gone wrong. It was my brother, Ian, who picked me up and put me back together. I became a different Fae, one who busied himself with ruling a kigndom and other women so he might not remember his pain. I cut off all my ties with you and tried my hardest to forget everything. Eventually I did. I lost all touch with your existence and could no longer sense when you were in pain. You were out of my life.

"Then, all at once, you came back. The last time I let you go back Aboveground I left you with the slightest bit of magic in case you changed your mind, though I felt foolish for doing so since it was evident to me that you'd never use it. When I saw you in the library everything rushed back to me. I had to put you in the cell so I could clear my head before finding out why you had wished yourself here. I came close to telling you everything then, but you were still the same obstinate person you had always been. When you told me about your fiancé, the only course of action that made sense to me at the time was to make you go back through the Labyrinth. Even if you made it through and went back Aboveground, you would have proven to me that you truly thought Alex was the one to make you happy. After our conversation in the Landfill, I decided to look in on Alex to see if, somehow, he really was better equipped than I was to take care of you. When I saw he was filth, I was both overjoyed and angered beyond all reason. I've seen your current life, I know with Alex turning out to be worthless you'd have no reason to return Aboveground. But then I thought of how hurt you would be if you found out and I almost didn't tell you. When I did and you, once again, accused me of having ulterior motives, it triggered something in me I've never felt before." He let go of her and slid the black gloves off his hands, letting them fall to the ground. He took her face in his hands, their skin pressing together for the first time. The delicate warmth of his touch took her breath away as he leaned his forehead onto hers. "I loved you, Sarah, with everything I am as a King and a Fae. But I can't spend my life loving someone who hates me. I've given up. You win whatever game you thought we were playing. "

He let her go, stepped back and stared into her eyes one last time. Drained from spilling every thought out to her, he looked away, his jaw clenched as he fought back tears.

"Jareth..." she murmured.

But he was gone. She was back Aboveground.

Her stepmother had stopped pounding on the door and cursing a long time ago. Sarah hadn't noticed, she was too deep in shock. Sitting on her floor and staring straight ahead, she couldn't seem to fully comprehend what had just happened. Jareth's speech had been so up front and so honest that he had left little doubt in her mind that he had been sincere.

However, doubt was still there.

Now that she wasn't near him, it occurred to her that the Goblin King could have just pulled off the greatest performance of his lifetime, and she was falling for it. She stood herself up and crossed the room. She rested her hand on the cordless phone that sat on her night table. There was only one way to be sure.

A minute later, Alex picked up on the other end of the line. "Hello?" he said, his voice tired and groggy, or was he _making_ it sound that way?

"Alex? I need you to meet me in my alleyway right now."

"What? What's going on?"

"Now, Alex, I'll explain when you get here."

Ten minutes later Sarah was watching with crossed arms as Alex got out of his car and walked up to her, his features fraught with worry.

He rubbed his eyes. "What's happened?"

She stared him dead in the eye. "Did you sleep with two women tonight?"

His face fell into shock. Moments of tense silence passed before he snapped out of it and took her by the arm. She tried to pull away, but he held fast.

His voice was harsh. "Who told you?"

Her heart shattered. "No one."

"_Who told you_?" he demanded, shaking her roughly.

"Someone you can't touch!" she yelled, jerking out of his grasp and shoving him towards his car. "Just go. You're too pathetic to look at."

"Dammit, Sarah."

"Go, _now_!"

He glared at her, silently deciding if he should give up or press her about who ratted him out. Eventually, he chose the latter.

As he started his car he leaned out the window and said, "At least I don't have to marry you anymore."

He sped off. She fell to her knees in the alley and buried her face in her hands. Sobs shook her body as tears poured out of her eyes and soaked her hands. The full weight of her actions crashed down on her, making it difficult for her to breathe. All she could think was one, simple question that terrified her.

_What have I done?_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven:**

"You stupid, _stupid_ bitch!" Sarah swore, yelling into her pillow, "How could you be so _naive_!"

Between screaming and crying, she was pacing her room, her heart beating so fast she thought it might explode. She'd never felt so moronic in her entire life. Overcome with frustration, she sat at her vanity mirror and glowered at her reflection. What really got to her was that she had everything laid out on a silver platter _three times_ and she just kept on being pigheaded until it was too late.

"_That's_ why you couldn't stand thinking about the damned ballroom." she said to her mirror image. "You couldn't stand the thought of being in love with someone who you thought was trying to turn you into a goblin! You loved the man and you didn't even _acknowledge _the possibility that all he wanted was you! God, you're such an imbecile!"

She looked away, her eyes coming to rest on the music box that was the exact image of her at the ball. Without hesitation, she picked it up and chucked it at the mirror. The glass didn't shatter, but after the impact there was a spider web crack spreading out from the epicenter in the bottom right corner. She stood up and started pacing again, her mind going everywhere at once. The perfect gift comes her way and she tosses it out the window before unwrapping it. She was at a complete loss for what to do. What _could _she do? Try and get back to a man who's busy forgetting her at this very moment? She froze in mid-stride.

_Holy shit._

That's _exactly_ what needed to be happening. She shouldn't be throwing a tantrum in her room, she should be figuring out how to get to Jareth as soon as possible. She acted on the first thing that came into her mind.

Sarah took a deep breath. "I wish the Goblin King would take me away right now." Nothing happened. "Dammit!"

She sat on her bed and stared blankly at the floor, trying to think of another way she could get Underground. After a minute of getting nowhere, she let out a scream of frustration, grabbed a pillow off her bed, and threw it on the ground. It landed right next to the music box. Her eyes went from the music box to the mirror as a possibility entered her mind.

"_Should you need us_..._"_

She sat at her vanity and leaned in close to the broken mirror. "Hoggle..._Hoggle_!" When no image came up, she tried a different name. "Didymus? Sir Didymus?"

A faint picture came up that was fractured by the cracked glass. It was accompanied by a wonderfully familiar voice.

"M'lady?"

"Didymus!" she exclaimed, her face only inches away from the mirror now. "It's Sarah. You have to help me get there."

"But, m'lady, all you have to do is say the words and you'll be here." he replied, his usual pleasant tone tainted by slight confusion.

"I don't have time to explain," she said, her adrenaline racing at the thought of her idea working, "but Jareth won't help me get to the Underground. I need _you_ to help me get there."

"My power is yours, m'lady." he answered with a sweeping bow.

She laughed with excitement. "Meet me in the throne room of the castle." She let out a quick breath, straightened her shoulders, and closed her eyes. "I wish Sir Didymus would take me away right now!"

A second passed, then two. An odd sensation began to sweep over her skin, making her shiver and sweat at the same time. She felt her chest tighten as breathing became more and more of a challenge. After a minute she stopped breathing all together and panic started to take hold of her. She became lightheaded and woozy, her legs went weak and her knees began to buckle. Then, out of nowhere, air rushed into her lungs so fast she collapsed, fighting to stay conscious. She coughed and hacked for a few seconds, the sudden supply of air shocking her body. Eventually the abnormal feeling in her chest began to subside. Once she was calm and breathing normally, she slowly opened her eyes.

Her trip to the Underground had been considerably more difficult without Jareth's abundance of magic, but that didn't matter now. She pushed herself to her feet and looked around. Things had definitely changed. The throne room was decorated in all white with no speck of dirt to be found. All the colored pillows that had been thrown all over the place had been traded for white ones. Silk streamers ran everywhere, making the space look like a heavenly lounge.

The gentle peace didn't last very long. Faint voices started floating in from outside the main doors, and they were growing louder by the second. Desperate for a place to hide but finding nothing she could fit behind, she grabbed a silk cloth that was covering a table in the corner and wrapped herself in it, being sure to cover her hair as well. Running to the doors, she stood beside them and prayed no one would notice her.

Just as she got into position, the doors burst open and goblins poured in, talking and laughing with glee. Behind them were numerous Faes, dressed in their finest clothes and chattering happily amongst themselves. Sarah slipped in with the crowd and hoped everyone was too wrapped up in their own business to notice a woman covered from head to toe in a table cloth.

The room filled up quickly, and Sarah soon found herself pressing her back against a wall while goblins and Faes swarmed about. Out of nowhere, loud horns sounded off. With the doors to her left and the throne to her right, she craned her neck toward the entrance to try and see what was happening.

A voice rose out of the crowd. "All hail Jareth and Penelope, King and Queen of the Underground!"

Sarah's jaw dropped as everyone cheered. The King of the Goblins entered, dressed in all black and sporting a polite smile. A woman came in a moment later and stood next to him, her flowing white gown contrasting sharply with Jareth's attire.

A poke in the ribs jerked Sarah out of her trance. She turned her attention to a woman dressed in a poofy, champagne colored dress who was studying her with a skeptic eye.

"You're no Fae." she accused, a light British accent dignifying her voice. "You're an intruder!"

The woman grabbed Sarah's wrist and yanked her through the crowd. Once they were in the clearing that had been made so the King and Queen could get to their seats, the woman shoved Sarah to the ground in front of the entrance. Still covered in silk, she kept her head down.

"Sire!" the woman yelled, standing over Sarah and pointing at her. "We have a spy in our midst!"

_No_...Sarah thought. _Please God no_...

Everyone went quiet instantly, waiting for something to happen. Sarah was frozen in her place, staring at the floor. She heard a single footstep, and tensed while the silence continued.

Then Jareth broke the stillness. "Show yourself." he commanded, his voice cold.

Trembling and fighting back tears, he braced herself and looked up, into his eyes.

Jareth went completely still. The fae who had given Sarah away now pulled the silk cloth off the 'spy' and tossed it away with pride. A collective gasp washed through the crowd when they saw her Aboveground clothes, then whispering gossip ensued.

"Pick her up." he ordered quietly.

The lady Fae did as she was told and roughly helped the invader to stand. Sarah didn't dare move as she watched Jareth slowly walk toward her. His expression was deathly grave, his eyes reflecting such a mysterious, complex emotion that Sarah was clueless as to what he thought about her being there. He stopped in front of her, their bodies not even a foot away from each other. He broke the stare and looked around at the crowd, realizing they had no privacy. After a moment, he grabbed her by the arm, hard, and led her across the room. His subjects parted as they approached, revealing a staircase that was all too familiar to Sarah. As they began their ascent, she knew they were headed for the Escher room.

"Go back to the party." Jareth called over his shoulder. "This won't take long."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight:**

The gravity defying room was just as she remembered it, though she didn't care at the moment. Jareth led her around a corner and pressed her up against the wall. He placed his hand by her head and leaned his weight on it, his eyes now reflecting sparks of anger.

"What could you possibly be doing here?" he asked, his body rigid.

She wouldn't be intimidated; she had every right to be furious as well. "I came here to be with you, but obviously you didn't waste any time moving on to little blonde women named Penelope."

His eyes narrowed with suspicion. "What do you mean, to be with me?"

She had been determined to get to him ever since the fit she had in her room, but now that the moment had come to make her feelings known, she hesitated. All she had to do was tell him, and all the wrongs in the world would be fixed. Just let him know, and it will be alright.

Even though she met his gaze evenly, her voice was delicate. "I love you."

His eyes widened with surprise. Pushing off the wall, he turned his back on her and looked out over the Escher room. She didn't know what to make of his reaction.

Before she could move, he spoke. "You have no idea how complicated things have become."

"Explain it to me." she replied, taking a step away from the wall.

He turned halfway around, his left shoulder facing her. "You interrupted a wedding reception, Sarah. I was married not ten minutes before you arrived."

So many emotions swirled around in her head that it all came out as rage. "How could you? You confessed _everything_ to me in the forest today, then you're married before I can blink! If it took you an hour to forget me now why should I believe it took you a year before! Did you give up on me so you and your precious Penelope could get hitched? If there's an explanation you better damn well give it to me, Jareth!"

His wrath more than challenged hers. "I gave up on you because _every time_ I tried to make my intentions known you went off on how I couldn't seem to get over a game I had lost!"

"What was I supposed to think after everything you threw at me when I ran the Labyrinth for Toby! All I knew was that your subjects despised you and you'd do anything to keep my brother! Until you told me everything today I never once thought that you were anything less than evil!"

"I don't know why. Up until I today I'd done everything _but_ tell you straight out!"

"I was naive and stubborn, I know that now! But apparently it's pointless because you decided to give up once you told me what you actually felt!"

He was yelling at the top of his lungs now. "You have no idea what it's like giving someone everything they've ever wanted only to be _rejected_ time and time again!"

"You could have given me a chance to take in everything you told me but, _no_, you couldn't _wait_ to get me back Aboveground so you could marry Penelope!"

"After I sent you back Aboveground I knew I had to start a new life. Penelope was just one of the _hundreds_ of women who wanted to marry a king. I'm _royalty_, Sarah, do you really think I have no prospects? I kept them away for years until you turned me down in the cell. Then I lost myself in them hoping just _one_ would surpass you! I never found your equal, I never came close! Now that you claim you love me, I'm _married_. I can't just get a divorce, it's not like being Aboveground. Divorce is rare to begin with before you add royalty on top of it!"

"Then maybe you should have considered the possibility that after you told me everything I would realize that I felt the same way! Instead you slip a ring on the first woman you see! How does that prove you love me, Jareth? Were you even telling the truth in the forest? Do you give a damn about me at all!"

He stepped toward her and pushed her into the wall, holding her there and leaning in close to her face. "How can you say that?" he asked, his voice hoarse and fierce, "I've loved you for almost ten years and I gave up just today. I still love you, Sarah, I just tried to force myself to get over you by marrying someone else and I regret it more than anything now."

Her voice trembled. "Then what are we supposed to do?"

He didn't have an answer for her. Letting her go, he took a step back and stared at her as his anger dissipated and his mind thought. They shared the silence, both their tempers cooling off and their muscles relaxing. After a minute his eyes brightened and he closed the gap between them so he could speak quietly.

"I have a temporary solution." he began, "I'll have Hoggle find you a room in the castle. You can stay there until I figure something out."

She nodded. "Will I see you?"

"You can meet me tonight, in the courtyard. Hoggle can show you the way." He looked around the corner and straightened his coat. "Speaking of Hoggle, I'll summon him now so you can find a room." He went to leave but stopped as he thought of something. "How did you get here?"

She was about to answer when a throaty voice interrupted. "Sire!"

Jareth saw a goblin running up the stairs, motioned for Sarah to stay where she was, and went to meet him. "Yes, what is it?" the King asked, his voice sounding as if everything was completely normal.

"Sir Didymus has been found dead at his post!"


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine:**

The small crowd stood around the tiny grave while members of Sir Didymus' family took turns saying goodbye. Sarah stood at the back of the group in her simple black dress with tears steadily running down her face. Despite what Hoggle and Jareth had told her over and over, she was convinced of one thing.

It was all her fault.

When Didymus had so readily agreed to pull her Underground, Sarah didn't have a clue that she was asking him to put his life at risk. It took all his energy to transport her, and he died the moment she arrived in the Underground. Sarah thought that, somehow, she should have known.

When the small group of fox-like creatures had finished bidding farewell, Sarah saw Jareth and Penelope emerge from the crowd and approach the grave. The Goblin King knelt down and gingerly placed a rose on the recently upturned soil. She saw that he was genuinely grieving, even though he hadn't known Sir Didymus all that well. As he stood, he briefly scanned the crowd. When he found Sarah, he locked eyes with her for a long, heart wrenching moment. Sarah broke the stare and glanced at Penelope. The new Queen looked bored as hell, but still managed to link arms with her husband once he had finished placing the rose. Sarah's blood began to boil. That Fae had no respect for the dead or Jareth. Just the sight of her turned Sarah's stomach. The Queen even had the audacity to tug at Jareth's arm and silently ask to leave. The King nodded, stole one last look at Sarah, and left with his new bride.

That's when she saw poor Ludo approach the grave and place a few stones next to Jareth's rose. He looked up at the sky and let out a tortured moan.

His only words were, "Brother...brother dead..."

Sarah looked down at Hoggle who was standing with his head bowed next to her. She knelt and placed a hand on his shoulder to get his attention. He peered up at her with glossy eyes and waited patiently for her to speak.

"I-I can't take much more." she said, her voice limp and weak.

Hoggle understood, and they quietly left the funeral.

They had found a room for Sarah down the hall from Hoggle's chamber, and it was here that the human and the goblin sat in silence. A regular bed had been brought in so Sarah could sleep, and they sat facing each other with their heads down. Neither of them spoke for a long time. Hoggle understood what had happened and honestly didn't blame Sarah; it was Didymus who put himself in the situation fully aware of the possibilities.

Sarah ended up speaking first. "Why can't Jareth just bring him back?"

"He's a very gifted Fae," Hoggle sighed, "but he ain't a god."

"I should have found another way." she whispered.

"Don't you blame yourself. You wouldn't have found another way, and there ain't no way you knew he could die. All him dyin' proves is how much of a friend he was." He looked out the small window, saw it was night, and slid off the bed. "I must say goodnight, Sarah. I have work in the mornin'."

A moment later she was alone. She laid down on the bed, still in the black dress she had worn to the funeral, and curled up into a ball. She desperately needed to be held, comforted. But Jareth had his own wing on the opposite side of the castle with his brand new wife. Sarah didn't let her thoughts linger on that subject for long. She was already overwhelmed by her friend's demise, she didn't need to be worrying about anything else. Throughout the night, she drifted in and out of sleep, and every time she woke up, she felt more and more isolated from the world.

Sarah stood around the corner from the King's bedroom in the early morning, waiting impatiently for an opportunity to see Jareth. She was glancing at the huge, wooden, carved doors every half minute to make sure she didn't miss any activity. When dawn had passed, she watched a goblin approach the door with a large silver tray containing two cups and two matching domes. He disappeared into the room and was back out in less than a minute. Sarah didn't know how long she waited after that, but once she saw Penelope exit dressed in a lavish, dark green gown and go down the large stair case across from the doors, she didn't care.

Waiting another minute just be safe, Sarah finally made her move and ran softly to the doors. She knocked lightly and held her breath for an answer.

"Come in." she heard the King's voice say, and she slipped into the room.

When she closed the door she couldn't help but stare at the decor. The bedroom mostly consisted of cream and beige tones with touches of silver to add a luxurious dimension. The huge bed that sat in the back right corner had four tall posts with a sheer, cream colored canopy gently billowing at the slightest breath, with the breakfast tray sitting in the middle, seemingly untouched. The large window across from her was designed to look shattered, but provided a breathtaking view of Goblin City and the Labyrinth beyond.

Jareth came out of the walk-in closet to her left, sliding on his last glove. He was in all black save for his white poet shirt, which was left open to a devastating degree. When he saw her his expression became alarmed and he crossed the room towards her.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, gently taking her by the arm and leading her away from the door. "If anyone saw you come in this whole situation could get drastic."

"I know, I'm sorry," she apologized, "but I had to see you. I couldn't take being alone, not after..." her voice failed and she trailed off.

She didn't have to explain anymore, Jareth understood. He took her in his arms and held her gently, letting her cry softly into his shoulder. He stroked her hair and slightly tightened his hold. She looked up into his eyes and went to speak but nothing came out.

"Shhh." he said, leaning his forehead onto hers, "It wasn't your fault."

They closed their eyes and held each other, everything else in the world fading into the background. Sarah was a strong woman, but the death of a friend had knocked the wind out of her. If Jareth hadn't have been there, she didn't know how she would've gotten through it. While Hoggle could talk to her and tell her everything would be alright, he couldn't hold her, not like Jareth could.

They flew apart at the sound of the door opening. Startled, Sarah wiped her eyes and tried to calm down. Jareth busied himself with fixing his glove.

Penelope bounced into the room with a man on her arm. "I hope your decent dear...oh." her brow arched at the sight of Sarah alone with her husband. "I ran into your brother on my little walk and thought you wanted to see him as soon as possible but...who is she?"

The King of the Goblins was, for the first time, at a loss for words. Sarah was speechless as well, trying to think of some reason for her presence that wasn't totally absurd. Jareth glanced around the room, looking for inspiration. Finding a solution, he was back to his normal, collected self.

"She's just the new maid, my dear." he explained, waving a gloved hand toward the breakfast tray. "This is her punishment for crashing our wedding reception yesterday."

"I thought you looked familiar." Penelope said, half to herself.

Jareth diverted the attention away from Sarah. "Ian, glad you could make it." he said, walking over and shaking his brother's hand.

The black haired, blue eyed man smiled warmly. His clothing style matched his brother's in every way except for the tightness of the pants.

He shook Jareth's hand with equal force. "I apologize for not making the wedding," he said, letting go of his brother and putting his weight on his right leg, "but the food issue was more out of control than I thought."

Penelope decided to chime in. "Why don't you both give me a tour of the castle? I'll need to know where everything is so I can find Jareth whenever I have a problem. Oh, Miss," she said, addressing Sarah, "you can get the tray now. Jareth, what's her name?"

If the King panicked, he didn't show it. "Helena, dear." he answered, his voice smooth and casual.

Sarah must have looked like a deer staring down a shot gun. She knew what was happening, but refused to be believe it. When she didn't respond right away, Penelope took offense.

"You disrupt my wedding then ignore my order?" she said in a pompous, threatening tone. "I'll give you one more chance to take the tray and _leave_. For your obstinance you can come back and dust the room while we're gone."

Her jaw set and her eyes flaming, Sarah picked up the tray and marched toward the door. She had to fight back the urge to shove Penelope into the wall as she passed, and Jareth noticed.

"You don't need to be cruel," the King said to his bride, "she's not as experienced as the goblins are."

Sarah clenched her teeth and stalked out of the room. She went straight to her measly chamber and promptly threw the tray on the floor, relishing in the sound of silver clashing against stone. She wouldn't serve that blonde wench again if her life depended on it. Then it occurred to her that her future with Jareth hung in the balance, and if she wanted to live happily ever after, she had to cater to the bitch first.

There was a knock at the door, then Hoggle's head poked in. "Jareth sent me to set up your arrangements for servin' him and Penelope. What's goin' on?"

Clenching her fists, she screamed in frustration.


	10. Chapter 10

Side Note: Listen to The Promise by When in Rome and just TRY to tell me it's not exactly what Jareth would say to Sarah (in the movie universe). Word for word and everything. It's awesome.

**Chapter Ten:**

Sarah stood in her ragged maid outfit, fuming silently. The doors to Jareth's room were right in front of her, she had her feather duster, everything was set, but she couldn't bring herself to go in the chamber. The thought of dusting that woman's furniture sent waves of nausea through her stomach and made her head throb. She'd been standing there a good five minutes before Hoggle came around the corner to check on her.

"What are you _doing_?" the goblin asked, making his way over to her.

"I can't do it." she replied, trying to hand him the feather duster against his will. "I can't be her slave."

He opened the door and pushed her in. "This ain't gonna last long. Jareth will think of something."

Before she could argue, he closed the door and left her to work. Grinding her teeth, she decided that to dust in peace would be better than dusting in front of Penelope, so she reluctantly started cleaning and tidying up the bedroom. She wasn't even halfway done when Jareth and Penelope came in.

"No, really," Penelope was saying, "your brother won't mind, we're newlyweds after all."

Sarah turned to look at them from her place at Jareth's work desk next to the closet, trying not to glare. The King saw her as he closed the door and gave her an apologetic look. She wasn't comforted.

"Dear," Jareth said to his wife, "Sa- I mean, Helena isn't finished yet, perhaps we should just be on time to lunch with Ian and talk about this later."

The wife wasn't giving up. "Oh, send her away then, she can do it later." She pulled the King towards the bed and snuggled up against his chest. "I want to be treated like the deserving wife I am."

Sarah watched as Penelope started kissing Jareth's neck and tugging at the waist of his pants. Jareth was looking around the room trying to think of what he could say to dissuade his spouse. Sarah had taken more than she could stand. There was no way she was just going to stand there while the man she loved was touched by another woman.

Walking briskly to the door, she tossed the feather duster to the floor and said in her most sarcastic tone, "I'll come and finish once you're done fucking."

Jareth shot her an alarmed expression while the new queen looked at the maid with a similar look, but for different reasons. Sarah was gone before they could say anything. She started down the stairs so irate and jealous that she thought she might explode and splatter her insides all over the castle. Jealousy coursed through her body, barely being able to stand the memory of what she just witnessed. The door behind her opened and closed, but she didn't turn until she heard his voice.

"Sarah, wait." he said, coming down the steps toward her.

She turned on him, her blood boiling. "How could you say I was the _maid_!"

"Keep your voice down." he advised, reaching her and subconsciously taking her by the arm. "It was spur of the moment, I had to say something."

"Forget it," she said, fighting to keep her voice down, "I don't even care about that, what I care about are her disgusting claws pulling you along into whatever she tells you to do. Her hands were _all over_ you in there."

"She's my wife, she expects certain things."

Sarah took a moment to realize the possibilities, her eyes widening. "What _certain things_ has she gotten, Jareth?"

"Do you really think I would do that?"

"I have no clue _what_ to think anymore, dammit!"

"If you would just calm down and be patient I could find a way out of this."

"Easy for you to say, you don't have to watch the person you love be groped by a trash!"

"Who says I haven't?"

She froze, her blood running cold. "What are you talking about?"

His voice took on a snide, leering edge. "I can see whatever I want when I summon a crystal, Sarah, even the past. Tell me, when you jumped into bed with Alex after knowing him for four days did you enjoy the foreplay or were you too _impatient_ to appreciate it?"

She slapped him across the face with twice as much wrath and force as she had delivered in the Landfill. Jareth let the stinging pain go untouched as he realized how far he had gone.

"Sarah..." he began, but she was already running, and he couldn't bring himself to follow her.


	11. Chapter 11

Side Note: Thanks to batteredchild for her reviews, they're very much appreciated. Hopefully everyone else will like it as much as you do.

Extra Disclaimer: This is just for fun, so don't sue me over the content later on in the chapter.

**Chapter Eleven:**

Sarah stared up at the ceiling as she laid on her back, willing herself not to cry. How could he say something like that to her? He didn't know the full story, but he went right ahead and passed his own righteous judgement on it anyway. Who does he think he is, anyway?

_He's a king, you idiot, no one's ever argued with him before._

"Oh shut up," she grumbled to herself, "that doesn't give him an excuse to be a prick."

_He was just frustrated, that's all. You're not the only one going through a rough time. He has to deal with Penelope, you know._

"Stop it, I'm trying to be pissed off." There was a brief knock at the door and she sat up. "Who is it?"

"Who else would it be?" Hoggle asked as he opened the door.

"You could've waited until I said it was okay to come in."

"Pssh, you ain't got no reason to tell me no."

"Changing clothes?"

He shrugged. "You would've screamed before I got the door halfway open."

She dropped the subject, her capacity for arguing having run out for the day. "Why are you here?"

"The King asked me to invite you to the Riverwind Cascades after dinner."

She tilted her chin up slightly. "Tell him I refuse."

He seemed to be expecting that answer. "He said he wanted to 'discuss the sordid events of the day' or something like that. He was doing business, his words get fancier when he works."

Her stubborn attitude kicking in, she almost didn't get the words out of her throat. "Fine...tell him I'll be there."

A couple of hours later, after eating a cooked bird that wasn't chicken but tasted exactly like it, Sarah went to her room to change out of her maid outfit and into something more suitable for a walk. Hoggle had told her over dinner that the Cascades were a little under a mile away but there was a clear path so she didn't need an escort.

Even though she had a limited amount of choices in her small closet, she managed to find a slender, navy, satin gown with a low neckline that suited her needs. The matching shoes were heels but, strangely enough, felt wonderful on her feet. She brushed her hair, making sure it was as smooth as she could get it to be, then went out into the hall where Hoggle was waiting.

"It's about time." the goblin complained.

Sarah didn't respond, she had too much on her mind. As he led her downstairs and out to the back of the castle, she kept trying to figure out how she was supposed to feel. She was still fuming so much from the even earlier in the day that she could hit him again and feel no remorse, yet she cared enough about seeing him that she took time to get ready. How did that make any sense?

_It doesn't. Nothing makes sense. Too much has happened and it's clouding your judgement._

"Go away." she muttered to herself.

"What was that, Sarah?" Hoggle asked as they strolled through a small flower garden.

"Oh," she said, having forgotten he was there, "nothing."

In the back of the garden was the beginning of a narrow path through a forest that almost seemed on fire in the evening light. Hoggle instructed her to keep to the trail, bid farewell, and made his back to the front of the castle. She let out a huge breath and started down the dirt trail, her dress barely sweeping the ground.

By the time she heard water washing over rocks, nighttime had fallen and the forest had become a haven only visible because of the bright, full moon that hung in the star-ridden sky. The path turned for the last time and revealed a gorgeous cascade taller than the eyes could see. As she walked closer she saw the water was falling further than the ground, and she knew then that a drop was coming. She slowed her pace and cautiously advanced, the shadows hid most of her surroundings. Then she came to the edge, and gasped. Water flowed out from the cliff she stood on, which couldn't have been less than fifty feet deep. She raised an eyebrow for a moment when she noticed how quiet and peaceful the water sounded as it slid over stone. The volume wasn't nearly as loud as the crushing waterfalls she had seen on family vacations. The crystal clear liquid sparkled in the moonlight and rushed down to the dark pool at the bottom, swirling gently around a large round stone that rested in the center of it all. On that stone stood the Goblin King, with his back to her, studying the Cascades. In front of her was a crude staircase that appeared to be carved out of the sloped cliff itself. Lifting her dress and taking in a deep breath, she began her descent. When she was almost to the bottom, Jareth turned towards her and went to hold out his hand, but hesitated. He seemed to be mesmerized, though she had no real idea why. She now stood at the bottom of the stairs, unsure of what to do. He looked the same as before, only now he wore the red leather coat she had seen him in years ago. She almost didn't hear him speak then, the hypnotizing sound of the Cascades having lulled her into a light trance.

"You're just so..." he began, searching for the right words, "...radiant."

For the first time in his presence, she looked down, humbled by his compliment. "Thank you."

He reached forward and drew her body close to his. With one gloved hand around her waist, he used the other to tilt her chin up so he could look into her pure green eyes.

His voice was quieter now, despite the fact that no one was around for at least a mile. "I'm sorry for today. I never should have said it. Everything had built up in me and with you taking out your anger at Penelope on me I lost control. I've never had to keep myself in check before, Sarah, please understand that in all the years I've known you, I've never wanted to hurt you, and I curse myself for doing so."

Tears welled up in her eyes. Being away from everyone coupled with the calming sounds of the Cascades stripped away all her confusion and allowed her simply _feel_. She couldn't remain angry with him, not after coming here and be offered an apology like that.

She noticed his attention was on her shoulder, and she followed his gaze to find his source of interest. During her journey to the Cascades, she hadn't noticed that her left strap had fallen down. With his kind, soft touch, he slipped the fabric back into place. When his fingertips left her skin, she felt colder for a moment. Inspired by his action, she took his hands in hers, pulling his gloves off and letting them fall to the ground beside her.

"Hold me like you did before you gave up." she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Silently obeying, he cradled her face in his hands and touched his forehead against hers. Sarah thought nothing could have made the moment more flawless, until Jareth began to sing.

"_There's such a sad love, deep in your eyes, a kind of pale jewel, open and closed with your eyes. I'll place the sky within your eyes. There's such a fooled heart, beating so fast in search of new dreams, a love that will last within your heart. I'll place the moon within your heart. As the pain sweeps through, makes no sense for you. Every thrill has gone, wasn't too much fun at all. But I'll be there for you as the world falls down._"

He pressed his mouth to hers, sending a gentle wave of sensation through her body. She gripped his coat and returned his tender kiss, their lips moving slowly as if to preserve the serenity of the moment. They parted, keeping their faces mere centimeters apart. She wasn't aware that tears had fallen from her eyes until Jareth gently wiped them away with a delicate kiss to each cheek.

"I'll speak to my brother tomorrow." he promised. "I can't go another day with my kingdom believing I love someone whom I despise. I want everyone to know that my heart belongs to you."

She smiled faintly, lost in his adoring eyes. Slipping her arms around his neck, they shared a deep embrace. It was now she knew that nothing would ever tear them apart. No force in the Underground would keep her from Jareth, and she knew he felt the same way about her. Their love had reached it's peak, and they would never see a valley.

Even when it's all said and done, their passion for each other will remain.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve:**

After leaving Jareth, Sarah practically floated back to the castle. When she arrived in her room, she flopped face first on her bed and let out the biggest sigh that ever escaped her lips. How could she have ever kissed Alex and thought it was decent? Compared to Jareth the human boy was as wonderful as an awkward virgin. No one would ever be able to come close to competing with Jareth, not that she ever wanted anyone to. The king was all she would ever need in a man, and all she would ever want. She was spoiled for other suitors now and forever.

"Do you wreck marriages as an occupation or is it simply a hobby?"

Sarah flipped over and sat up in a flash, her eyes wide. The man stood beside the door, his arms crossed, glaring at her with such hatred it nearly knocked the wind out of her. She knew the intruder's name, but it took her a moment to remember it.

"...Ian?" she said, gripping the bed sheets, "What are you doing here?"

His tone was flat and tense. "Answer my question, dammit."

"You don't understand." she replied, a lump rising in her throat.

He walked towards her, his eyes threatening. "I understand everything, Helena. I had to scrape my brother off the floor because of some worthless teenager that was too stupid to see everything that he had laid out at her feet. I had to watch my own kin go through a year long depression because of a mere human he'd fallen in love with. Years after he finally snapped out of it and everything was going along perfectly, he up and decides to get married. By now I'm so proud of my older brother I actually look up to him for the first time in my life. I don't want anything to ruin his new way of living." His voice lowered to a dangerous whisper as he leaned in closer to her face. "So when I see him hugging and saying goodbye to the common help in a place as romantic as Riverwind Cascades, I can't help but feel like I should step in and solve the matter. Since I already know Jareth wouldn't listen to me, I'll have to talk to you."

The fierce blow came out of nowhere and knocked Sarah back onto the bed. She was so stunned from the hit that she didn't react as fast as she needed to, leaving a window of opportunity open for Ian. He went around to the other side of the bed, grabbed her by the hair, and pulled her off the bed, shoving her into the wall. When she hit the ground, agony sent tidal waves through her jaw, knee, and hip. Suddenly ignited by fear and adrenaline, she lashed out with her leg and nailed her assailant in the shin with brute force. He stumbled back and let out a short yelp of pain. Recovering quickly, he knelt down over her and blocked most of the blows she tried to deliver with her fists. He caught her hands and held them over her head. She tried to kick him off as he straddled her, but he was too heavy and powerful. Able to hold her wrists with one hand, he used his other to land three choice blows across her face. Her head nearly exploded with pain as her vision blurred and her mind became hard to manage. He leaned down so he could get close to her ear.

"If you ever go near Jareth again," he murmured, his tone heavy with quiet ferocity, "I am fully prepared to bury you in a place even a king wouldn't be able to find."

After two more hits, she fell into oblivion.

_(Hours later...)_

When Sarah rose into consciousness just after sunrise, it took her a moment to realize where she was and remember what had happened. Her body crumpled in the corner, she didn't move for a long while as she tried to mentally assess what parts of her were damaged. Once she was convinced that standing was a possibility, she slowly climbed to her feet, using the wall and the bed for stability. Now upright, she moved each of her limbs to make sure she was alright. She had some sore spots, but no broken bones. Her worst bruise was the hip that had taken all of her weight when she landed on the wooden floor. Smoothing her hair, she went to her closet and got her maid dress. Putting it on ended up to not be too excruciating, but when she looked in the mirror to check her appearance, she gasped at the sight of the real damage.

Her right eye was completely black, and her right cheek and jaw were littered with deep purple bruises. She was too scared to touch it, so she just tried to open her mouth, then clamped it shut when a bolt of sharp pain shot through her head. There was no way to hide her wounds from anyone except to keep her face turned so her left side was showing, which would prove to be difficult. She made up her mind that she couldn't leave her room until the swelling had gone down. Jareth would go insane if he saw what his brother had done to her. But what made her think he would believe her, anyway? He had no reason to think his own flesh and blood was capable of such cruelty, and who was she to question his family? She decided right then that Jareth was not to know.

Then she remembered being a maid involved serving breakfast.

"Shit." she swore, trying to fix her hair so it covered her bruises.

There was no way she could flake out on serving Jareth, Penelope would complain and ask too many questions. Sarah had to make an appearance, even if it was only for a split second. With her hair somewhat concealing her wounds, she quietly left her room and went down to the kitchen to get the silver tray.

Remarkably, no little goblin seemed to notice her affliction. She simply walked in, grabbed the tray, and walked out without speaking a word to anyone. Few Fae's ever traveled the halls, so she was in the clear until she reached the King's chamber. Swallowing hard, she knocked on the door and bowed her head so her hair would spill into her face more.

A moment later Penelope swung open the door and waved her in. "You're late." she stated in a haughty tone. "I don't appreciate tardiness."

Sarah entered with her left side facing the queen and set the tray down on the bed. Noticing Jareth's absence, she couldn't help but wonder.

"Where's the King?" she asked, turning to face Penelope.

The woman shrugged in the closet's direction. "Getting dressed." She stepped closer and lowered her voice, her tone giddy. "We gave in to an impulsive moment a little while ago, since you weren't here yet. The man has to get dressed twice in one morning, poor thing."

Sarah's eyes narrowed and she took a step back. She knew the queen was lying through her teeth, but that didn't mean it left Sarah unaffected. The gall this woman possessed was overwhelming, and had to be smothered. But as much as she wanted to slap Penelope with every ounce of strength she possessed, she remembered the consequences of an action like that. Clenching her fists, she managed a weak smile and went to leave.

"Oh my lord, your face!" the queen exclaimed, grabbing Sarah's hand and pulling her closer. "You clumsy little thing, did the stairs so this to you?"

"Shhh, please." Sarah begged quietly, trying to get free and make a quick exit.

"Jareth, come look at this!"

Sarah tried yanking her arm away but Penelope's grip may as well have been handcuffs. They struggled for a brief moment, the queen still yelling for the king to come take a look.

Jareth strolled out of the closet in his typical casual manner. "What are you-" he stopped mid-sentence when he saw Sarah's face. Forgetting his role as a husband, he crossed the room in a flash and pushed his wife out of the way to hold Sarah and inspect her wounds.

"Who did this?" his rough voice demanded.

Tears began to fall from her eyes. "You wouldn't believe me."

He brought his face within inches of hers and stared deeply into her eyes. "I'll believe whatever you say."

She looked down, her body trembling. "...Ian."

He stumbled backward as if he had been struck. The pure disbelief displayed on his face nearly broke her heart. She hadn't wanted to be the one to tell Jareth what a monster his brother was, but it happened anyway. His shoulders tightened as the reality of what she had told him began to ste in.

Penelope spoke up. "Darling, what's going on?"

Without looking at her he replied, "I'll take Helena to the clinic."

He took Sarah by the arm and they were gone before the queen could respond. Walking quickly down the hall, she looked over at Jareth. The rage in his eyes, even though it was directed toward someone else, terrified her. The rigidness of his steps and his body were clear messages that he was out for, not simply justice, but revenge.

Arriving at a large door, he didn't waste any time. Placing Sarah out of harm's way, he summoned a crystal and threw it at the door. The entry splintered into a million shards and rained over the king, who was already walking into the room. Sarah followed, completely unaware of what Jareth was capable of.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen:**

As the dust settled, Sarah stood in the doorway and watched the scene unfold. Ian, brushing himself off at the back of the room, had no idea what was coming. Jareth seized him by the collar and shoved him against the wall so hard that he knocked the wind out of his brother.

"Did you lay a hand on her!" the king yelled.

Dazed and coughing, it took a second for Ian to answer. "I had to...keep her away from you."

Jareth let him go long enough to hit him square in the nose with all the force in his body. Blood gushed from the Fae's face as he slumped to the ground. Ian groaned in agony and quickly placed a hand on his broken nose. Moments later he wiped the blood away and got to his feet in perfect health.

Ian shoved his brother, anger filling his eyes. "Frankly, I don't know how you could stoop as low as having an affair with a maid _two days_ after getting married!"

"God_dammit_, Ian!" Jareth swore, motioning toward Sarah, "She's not a maid, what kind of ruler do you take me for! That's _Sarah_! She came here for me after the marriage was final. A marriage, by the way, that I didn't even _want_! I was using Penelope to get over Sarah. Hell, Ian, don't you do anything without asking questions! Even if she _was_ a maid, you beat the shit out of her!" His voice lowered to a sinister growl. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't personally dismember you."

The stunned humility that came with grave understanding instantly affected his ability to speak. "Jareth, I-I..."

Livid and impatient, the king didn't give his brother another chance to reply. He grabbed Ian's hair, pulled him down to the ground, and dragged him over to Sarah, ignoring his thrashing and cursing. Once in front of her, he forced Ian onto his knees, held him by the scruff of his neck, and made him look at what he had done.

"You turned her eye _black_." Jareth snarled into his kin's ear. "I'm ashamed to admit you're a part of my family. Speak on your behalf quickly, or I wont be responsible for how I punish you."

Sarah could almost smell the terror radiating from the king's brother. All she could do was stand in silence as he tried to speak.

Ian cleared his throat. "P-please, Jareth...I didn't k-know anything...let me try to...m-make it right."

"I don't see how you could." Jareth replied sharply, tightening his grip.

"Surely," Ian began, wincing from his brother's more intense hold, "you must h-have some problem...t–that you need...help w-with."

The king thought for a moment, had an idea, and said, "Find a way to get Penelope to leave me without tarnishing my reputation. But first, beg for Sarah's forgiveness."

Ian nodded in agreement, and his brother released his hold. He rubbed his neck and stood up, his hands lightly shaking. Looking Sarah in the eye, he straightened his posture.

"I swear," he said, his voice still a little shaky, "I didn't know who you were or what I was doing. I've never felt more guilty in my life. Please, Sarah, I hope one day you can forgive me."

When she didn't reply right away, he took a cautious step towards her, holding out his hands to show he meant no harm. She unknowingly tensed as he approached her carefully, reaching for her wounds. Placing his palms over the right side of her face, he pressed down gently, only causing an instant's worth of torment to Sarah. A few seconds later he backed away, and she felt her face. No pain, no sores, just regular, healthy flesh.

"Thank you." she mumbled.

"No, please," Ian said, "it's the least I could do."

"The very least." Jareth mumbled.

He turned to his brother. "I'll let you know as soon as I figure out how to get rid of Penelope."

"You had better." the king warned.

As if on cue, Penelope suddenly blew past Sarah and stood in front of her husband. "I want to know what the hell is going on, _right now_."

Jareth instantly turned on his carefree, arrogant manner to hide any reaction his wife might find suspicious. "What are you talking about, dear?"

The queen's tone was nearly frantic. "I went down to the clinic, didn't find you, and had to go searching! Why would you lie to me, darling? Why is the door blown to pieces? Why are you so concerned about Helena? You're not going to run away with her, are you?"

Ian's eyes lit up for a moment, then returned to normal. "Penelope," he began, charm oozing out of his every move, "I need to speak with you, _now_. Can this wait?"

"Actually-"

"Perfect." he interrupted, taking her by the arm and whisking her out of the room.

Sarah, now alone with the king, arched an eyebrow. "What the hell was that?"

Jareth had a knowing smirk on his face. "Why didn't I think of it sooner?"


	14. Chapter 14

Side Note: I promise, it's not over yet. They still have some hurdles to jump over, and if I do it correctly, it'll be pretty intense. Mwahahahaha!

**Chapter Fourteen:**

Jareth and Sarah had only been waiting five minutes when Ian and Penelope came waltzing through the doorway. Sarah stood next to the king as his wife let go of Ian and took a couple of steps forward.

The queen's attitude was nonchalant to an almost insulting degree. "Jareth, dear, I'm afraid there's been a...development."

The king acted interested. "...Yes?"

"You see...well, Ian loves me, and I've come to realize that I feel the same way about him. Don't blame Ian, he can't help what he feels. You and I both know we weren't going to be happy together, and now that I have another kingdom to go to, I can leave. You had nothing to do with me leaving, and I'll make sure the Ancient Directorate knows that. Oh, I hope you're not too angry. I know how much you loved our nights together."

Sarah clenched her teeth. The queen just had no shame. Jareth motioned to his brother to give him hug. Ian obliged, and as they shared an embrace, Sarah heard the faintest whispering.

"Are you really prepared to spend the rest of your life with her?" the king asked quietly.

"Of course not." Ian replied without hesitation. "Don't worry about me, I've got it all taken care of."

They separated and Jareth spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. "You take care of her." he advised, his eyes reflecting the joy he took in the double meaning of his statement.

Ian fought back a grin and nodded as he rejoined Penelope, who had one more thing to say. "Oh, and about the maid accusation, I apologize. _Jareth_ have an affair with a maid? What was I thinking?"

A moment later the new couple had gone. Sarah ran into Jareth's arms and clung to his neck, elation radiating from her being. The king kissed his love deeply, pressing their bodies together and holding onto her tightly. They parted, and she gazed into his for what strangely felt like the first time.

"I don't have to hide anymore." she stated with glee, nuzzling his neck.

He pulled away so she would look at him. "Sarah, I'd be honored if you joined me for dinner tonight.

She giggled. "You don't need to ask me. Of course I'll go."

A goblin urgently walked in the room, only glancing at the carpet of splinters for a moment. "Sire, we've been looking for you. Did his royal highness forget about the morning business meeting?"

The king let out a sigh, remembering his duties. "Tell them I'll be there in a minute." he ordered, then turned to Sarah. "I'll be working until the evening, I usually do. Go to your room and I'll send Hoggle with assistants to move your things to my chamber, if that' what you want."

She nodded earnestly. "I've wanted that ever since I came back to the Underground."

He gave her a quick kiss, then, just before he left, he said, "I'll send dressmakers, too. You'll need a full wardrobe."

Hours later, after being fitted for countless dresses, including the one she had made specifically for dinner that night, she put the finishing touches on her subtle, dark green eyeshadow, and took a step back to examine herself in Jareth's full length mirror. Her gown matched her make up, which stood out against the calm tones of the king's room. The sleeveless, lacy corset flowed into the rest of the dress as she turned this way and that, inspecting herself. A silver chain graced her neck, with an emerald wrapped in silver hanging just below the collarbone. She ran a brush through her hair, letting it flow naturally, then joined Hoggle in the hall where he as waiting. The goblin led her to a relatively nearby set of double doors.

Hoggle paused in front of the door, his hand on the lower knob. "He told me to make sure you knew that the dining hall has never looked like this before."

He pushed open the door and she stepped inside. Her jaw dropped as tears sprang to her eyes. The king always knew what she wanted, even before she knew it herself. Looking around in amazement, she wondered how he'd managed to pull everything together so soon.

The dining room looked exactly like the ballroom from her dream.

Hundreds of Fae's danced and carried on, completely ignoring the human's presence. Sarah wandered through the room, feeling fifteen again. Searching for Jareth in the crowd, she could've sworn she'd seen him a couple of times, but she'd blink and no one would be there.

A dancing couple brushed past her, knocking her off balance and forcing her to stumble backward. Bumping into something hard, she turned to try and keep whatever she'd disturbed back in place. When she saw it was an elegantly set dinner table, and nothing had been harmed, she relaxed a little. Looking beyond the table, she saw a giant, wall to wall mirror that reflected the entire makeshift ballroom back at her.

Then she saw that, standing off to the side in the mirror amongst his subjects, was the Goblin King, dressed in the same clothes he had worn in her dream so long ago. She turned to look at him, but saw that he wasn't there. Walking around the table and up to the mirror, she put her hands on her hips and her weight on her left leg.

"What's going on?" she asked in a mock serious, tone.

He walked toward her, that alluring, mischevious look about his face. When he stood in front of her, he paused for a moment, then stepped through. Without saying a word, he swept her into a simple dance, and they began to travel about the room, gliding effortlessly through the crowd. She hadn't heard the familiar tune begin, and she didn't care. All she could see and hear was Jareth as he began to sing, picking up right where he left off.

"_I'll paint you mornings of gold. I'll spin you valentine evenings. Though we're strangers 'till now, we're choosing the path between the stars. I'll leave my love between the stars. As the pain sweeps through, makes no sense for you. Every thrill has gone, wasn't too much fun at all. But I'll be there for you as the world falls down._"

He brought their dancing to halt with a dramatic dip in the center of the room. He brought her back up, gingerly kissing her as he wrapped his arms around her body. They shared a long, intimate moment, then he pulled away. Standing there, breathless, Sarah realized they were now completely alone. He grinned at her slight confusion.

"I've brought you a gift." he said, summoning a crystal and holding it up for her to see. "It's something I've been saving for a very long time now."

Her breath caught as the orb disappeared and left a small, black box in the king's hand. He knelt before her in all his flawless, tantalizing glory.

"Sarah," he began, his voice gentle, "my love for you has stayed deep and passionate all these years, and I was a fool to try and forget you. Nothing in the Underground has ever come close to making me feel as complete as I am when you're near. Please, my lady, will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?"

He opened the box to reveal a stunning white gold band with three sapphires, the on in the middle being a bit larger, and four small diamonds, two on each side, accentuating the elegant simplicity of the ring. Sarah felt tears begin to run down her face as she gently pulled him into a stance and kissed deeply. Everything in her body screamed with happiness as she clung to Jareth.

She broke away from his lips to speak. "I will be with you forever."

He smiled softly and took out the ring, motioning for her left hand. He slipped the jeweled band onto her rightful finger, then slid off his gloves and tossed them to the floor. Taking her face in his hands once more and relishing the feel of her soft, perfect skin, he brought their mouths together, making his silent promise to cherish her always.

After a few minutes of quiet kissing and embracing, Sarah looked over at the dining table and noticed something odd.

"Why is the table set for four people?" she inquired, leading him by the hand toward where they would be eating.

He followed, allowing himself to be pulled. "The extra places are for my parents."


	15. Chapter 15

Side Note: Thank you to everyone for your reviews and support. I'm so happy to know that you guys love reading it as much as I love writing it.

**Chapter Fifteen:**

With a wave of Jareth's hand, the main doors swung open and two people walked through with smiles on their faces. As they approached, Sarah noticed that her fiancé looked exactly like his father, only younger, and his mother's eyes were full of pure warmth.

"Sarah," Jareth began, "this is my father, Kevlin, and my mother, Lorena."

The beautiful older woman swept Sarah into a big hug. "Welcome to the family, my dear." she said with the upmost sincerity.

Lorena backed away to allow her husband an introduction. The old king took Sarah's hand and kissed it briefly, winking at her playfully as he let her go.

"Jareth was right," Kevlin said, "you are most gorgeous."

Sarah felt blood rush to her cheeks, but accepted the compliment gracefully. The four of them sat at the rectangular table, Jareth and Sarah only sitting at the ends after his parents insisted. Goblins arrived in the first course, a clear soup in white porcelain bowls that tasted heavenly, poured everyone a glass of the best goblin wine, except for Jareth, and exited quietly. They carried on a conversation as they ate.

After some small talk, Lorena pleasantly brought up something with a little more depth. "Jareth told us the whole story this morning through a crystal and practically demanded us to be here by the evening. I can't begin to tell you how we rushed to make our son's deadline."

Sarah swallowed her mouthful of soup before responding. "It was a wonderful surprise, you have no idea how much it means to me."

Kevlin cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "You know, Sarah, we were concerned at first when we heard you were from Aboveground. It's very rare for a human to love a Fae, as I'm sure my son has explained." Sarah nodded as if she understood while Kevlin continued. "But after hearing Jareth speak of you and meeting you now, I believe I speak for both myself and my wife when I say we would be honored if you married Jareth."

Tears welled in Sarah's eyes. She had only just met them, but their acceptance meant the world to her. For once, she might have a decent mother in her life. A quiet thank you was all she could manage, then she glanced at Jareth, who was staring at her with pride and adoration in his eyes. With the formalities out of the way, the four relaxed and spent the rest of dinner chatting like they had been a family for years.

That night, after saying goodnight to his parents, Jareth leaned against his closet doorway and watched Sarah take off her make up. They had been reliving the evening, and Sarah's mention of his parent's acceptance of her reminded him of an issue at hand he had forgotten to mention.

He decided to not beat around the bush. "You have an interview with the Ancient Doctorate tomorrow."

Her body went still and looked at him with confused, almost frightened eyes. "What?"

"It's not a huge ordeal." he explained casually. "Since humans marrying Fae's is a rare occurrence, they just want to be sure your motives are innocent. They ask questions, you give honest answers, and they fall in love with you as easily as my parents did."

She let out a sigh to steady herself and continued wiping off her eyeshadow. When she finished, she stood from the vanity and went into the closet, Jareth stepping aside. He leaned against the bedpost, still fully clothed, and waited patiently for her to emerge. She came out and stood in the closet doorway, her body language giving off signs of nervousness. He looked her over, captivated. Her delicate, dark gray, silk nightgown cut off at her mid-thigh and accentuated her every curve. Keeping her eyes to the floor, she went to pass him so she could climb into bed. He stopped her with a gentle touch, his gloves still off from before, and she shyly met his gaze. The king let a slight smile show in his expression; she was brave and fearless in every situation, but when it came to intimacy she was almost like a virgin.

He kissed her gently and whispered, "Nothing will happen until I have your permission."

A coy grin tugged at her mouth as her expression suddenly morphed. "I'm yours for the taking if you're man enough."

His eyebrow arched at her boldness. Had she been toying with him just moments before when she had seemed timid? As she went to get into bed, he made his move. Pulling her to him, he lowered his mouth to her neck, letting his warm breath grace her soft skin. He placed tentative, smooth kisses along her shoulder and collarbone, savoring the sound of her breath quickening and her heart racing. He gently nibbled at the flesh just below her jaw, her eyes rolling in the back of her head as a quiet moan escaped her lips. Her body trembling with desire, he could barely keep himself from ravishing her right then and there. He felt her hands slide up his chest and tilt his chin up slightly. She returned the favor with long, deep kisses near his subtle Adam's apple, her tongue caressing his flesh with tantalizing grace. Unable to keep patient any longer, he their mouths crashed together with rough passion, his hands sliding and groping over every curve. He hadn't realized how much he wanted her until that instant, and the fire in his body threatened to overpower him. She met his lust equally, hugging his neck tightly and viciously teasing his tongue with her. They tumbled to the bed, blissfully unaware of anything but each other

Dawn peeked through the curtains and gently woke Sarah from her deep slumber. Rubbing her eyes, she rolled over and saw that Jareth wasn't beside her. She sat up in time to see the king walk out of the closet dressed in a navy poet's shirt with black pants and boots to match. She recognized the outlandish cape from when they had first met. He saw she was awake and went to her side, kissing her forehead before going to his desk. Her crumpled nightgown twisted around her body, she straightened herself out before climbing out of the luxurious bed, making her way to the closet.

"I've laid out a dress for you." Jareth called. "I know you want to choose for yourself, but meeting the Doctorate is a difficult affair to dress for even when you know what's coming."

She saw the simple, but somehow ravishing, beige gown and instantly fell in love with it. She hurried to dress and do her make up, not knowing when the interview was but wanting to be as early as possible. She knew that if she blew it with the Doctorate, they could send her back Aboveground for good. Jareth had never told her that, but there was something in the way he spoke of the council that made her believe they could do anything they anted and not blink an eye.

When she was all primped and ready, the king led her by the arm out of the castle to where a grand black carriage was waiting for them. He helped Sarah get in, then followed behind her. As the carriage started to move, she looked out the window to see Kevlin and Lorena waving happily from the main steps. She returned their wave, then settled in next to Jareth, her nerves already tensing up. As they wove through a just rising Goblin City, he noticed her anxiety.

"Trust me," he began, putting an arm around his fiancé, "they mean you no harm."

She let out a shaky sigh and rested her head on his shoulder. "Why are we taking a carriage?" she asked as the thought went through her mind. "Can't you just sort of warp us there?"

He chuckled at her inquiry. "With the Doctorate, it's all about tradition and ceremony."

She nodded in vague understanding. Before she could catch herself, she fell into a light sleep.

Jareth gently shook her when they had arrived, and she bolted upright. He laughed at her frantic worry, getting out of the carriage and holding his hand out to help her. She rubbed her eyes, careful of her make up, and let Jareth help her out. Her jaw dropped at the sight of the enormous white castle. Six towers loomed over them all bunched together in ethereal grace. As they started up the stairs towards the huge, marble doors, she realized what she must look like and snapped her mouth shut, trying to appear unimpressed. Jareth bit back a grin at her reaction and waved his hand, the doors opening before them. They entered the high domed foyer of the main castle and was greeted by a young male Fae in an impeccable red suit with flowing coat tails. He was a gash of color against the blank background, and Sarah found she couldn't take her eyes off the contrast until they were suddenly in a large, round room, standing in front of a table where five elderly people sat. A dwarf, a goblin, a Fae, an Elf, and a beast, all male, stared at her with neutral gazes, studying her as if she were a new breed of some sort. Jareth nudged her forward, bowed to the Doctorate, then took his place in a plain throne near the door to watch the interview.

"Nice to see you again, Jareth," the elder Fae said, "I trust everything is copesetic in the Underground?"

"Thank you, Malinor," Jareth replied, his tone respectful, "and, yes, the Underground is quite flawless at the moment."

The elder Fae turned his attention to the woman who stood before him and his council. "Sarah, I presume?"

She swallowed hard. "Yes, sir."

"Do you know why you're here, child?"

"Yes, sir."

"Ten, if you don't mind, we would like to begin the interview as soon as possible. We are very busy today."

"Not at all, sir."

"Fine." Malinor sat back in his seat and rested his hands in his lap. "A human hasn't wished to marry one of our kind in a very long time. In fact, it's been over half a century." He turned to the goblin next to him. "When was the last human interview?"

"James the mortal and Ferinae the Elf, six hundred and fifty years this winter, sir." the goblin replied.

Malinor nodded, then turned back to Sarah. "Since this occurrence is so rare, we feel it's necessary to investigate the intentions of the human before we allow any sort of bond to occur. Do you understand child?"

"Of course, sir." Sarah answered, fighting back the urge to wring her hands.

"Alright, then. Why, exactly, do you want to marry Jareth?"

She didn't take long to reply. "When you've dealt with human boys all our life, sir, then you meet a Fae as intriguing as a Goblin King, mortals sort of lose their appeal. Jareth has more to offer from his mind than anyone Aboveground could ever hope to. I love him, sir, and I know I could never love anyone else, human or otherwise."

Malinor nodded, as if impressed by her articulate response. "You have thought about what it means to be immortal?"

"Yes, sir."

"And you don't mind that you will out live your family, and their families?"

"My family isn't what you would call loving, sir."

He understood. "Then, child, are you prepared to create your own family? Surely you must know how vital it is to produce an heir?"

Her heart turned to ice. She looked back at Jareth, horror tearing at her chest. She slowly turned back to the Doctorate, her throat going dry.

"I-I..." she stammered, tears beginning to roll down the sides of her face, "I...can't have children."


	16. Chapter 16

**Side Note: **Thanks to tiddlywinks I realized how utterly stupid I was to not explain anything about Sarah's operation. I decided to change the reason she's barren altogether, just to make things easier. The very beginning is all that's changed. Sorry about not posting in a while, school and shite. I'll update soon, I promise. Oh, and I have another story up now, check it out and tell me if you like it!

**Chapter Sixteen:**

Jareth was by her side in a moment. "I assure you, Malinor-''

"Silence." the elder Fae solemnly ordered, then focused in on Sarah. "Explain why you are barren."

She quelled her body from trembling. "I had...cysts...on my ovaries..."

Malinor's expression turned to ice. "You cannot wed if you produce no heir."

Jareth tried to calm him down. "Sir, please relax and let me find-"

"_You cannot wed if you produce no heir_."

The Fae waved them away, done with their company. Jareth and Sarah left the castle and got back into the carriage. They weren't even a quarter of a mile away before Sarah broke down in tears.

"I'm so sorry." she apologized through sobs and gasps.

He wrapped his arms around her. "We'll figure something out. It's not over."

"Can't you just...heal me?"

He gently tightened his grip. "We're not gods, Sarah. Fae's have limited healing abilities. There's still hope...I promise."

Despite his comforting hold and inspiring words, she continued to cry until they arrived back at Jareth's castle in the Underground. They were barely out of the carriage when Kevlin and Lenora came out of the castle and rushed towards them.

"We just heard." the older queen said, taking Sarah into a tight hug. "I'm sorry, darling."

"There's nothing to be worried about." Kevlin stated with abrupt confidence. "Jareth and I will look into every active law in the land. There has to be a loophole somewhere."

Squeezing Sarah's shoulder as a sign of encouragement, the Goblin King silently disappeared into the castle with his father, already discussing possible solutions. Lenora took Sarah by the arm and they strolled into the castle behind the men.

"You must be exhausted," the queen said, her voice full of sympathy. "I'll help you get into bed."

It was then that Sarah noticed how tired she was. The sun had just finished setting, but it felt like three a.m. to her body. She leaned on Lenora as they walked to Jareth's room. Before she knew it she was lying down, the queen always making sure she was relaxed and comfortable. Lenora snuck out of the chamber as Sarah fell into a deep, concerned sleep.

When she woke up in a different place with nothing familiar in sight, she jerked awake as panic shot through her. It didn't take her long to realize her arms were shackled to the wall and her feet were bound as well. She looked around the tiny, crude room, trying to get a grasp on the situation. She screamed for help only to find her mouth gagged. Struggling against the chains, she continued to take in her surroundings, hoping there would be some clue as to where she was. A few candles on the ground faintly lit the dirt floor and cave walls, giving her very little information.

_Who did this?_

As if reading her mind, she heard a heavy door open in the darkness in front of her. Every muscle in her body tight, she pressed her back into the wall and tried to peer into the shadows. Slowly, a large, cloaked man with a hood covering most of his face stepped into the light, his broad shoulders and barrel chest chilling proof of his strength. It was difficult not to cower before the imposing figure, but Sarah forced herself to appear fearless.

The burly man spoke, his voice deep and raspy. "You, little madam, have arrived at the last place you will ever be. This is your home now."

Although her mind reeled with questions, she only asked on. "Who are you?"

He chuckled. "You don't need to worry about my name, little madam."

Her usual nature started to kick into gear." Jareth will kill you when he finds me."

An evil grin of triumph slithered across his face. "This place is deep, so protected, the king can't even feel you're in danger."

"Then why don't you just kill me instead of holding me forever?" she snapped, anger starting to cover her fear.

"Because, even though I'm stronger than your beloved king, there's no place I can take you, no shield I can cover you with, that will keep him from sensing your death."

She looked away from her captor, biting her tongue to hold back tears. Without a goodbye, the man left her alone, leaving only an apple to keep her alive.

Even though he had gone to bed late, Jareth awakened with the dawn as he usually did. He rolled over to gently rouse Sarah, then shot up. She wasn't there. She was _supposed_ to be there. He went to leap from the bed in search of his love, but was stopped by the sound of the door opening. Relief washed through him as Sarah entered the room with a silver tray.

"What are you so worried about?" she asked in a chipper tone as she set the breakfast down on his desk. "It's just me, you're future bride."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen:**

Jareth laid back on the bed and closed his eyes, slightly ashamed of his useless panic attack. Sarah left the meal and went up to the bed, her right hand touching his forearm gently. He opened one eye and looked at her curiously.

A small grin tugged at the corner of her mouth. "I was wondering if you wanted a little something before breakfast."

The king arched an eyebrow. "It's not even ten o'clock yet. Besides," his voice turned soft, "we've never..."

"That's why I thought of it. It'd be so romantic, Jareth."

The king sat up and looked out the window to his right. It wasn't that he didn't adore Sarah, or yearn for a moment like this, but something about Sarah's manner didn't settle with him. She was never one to speak like she was now. His peculiar thoughts had left him uninspired when it came to early morning love making, but how could he explain that to her? The whole scene was bizarre.

"Darling?" Sarah said, resting a hand on his bare shoulder, "Are you alright?"

Looking into her eyes, he knew he couldn't lie to her. "Do you...feel normal?"

Her expression became subtly puzzled. "Whatever do you mean?"

He tried to put his odd emotion into words. "You're...way of speaking...or rather, the words you choose...they seem more...I don't know."

"Don't be silly, I'm the same Sarah I was yesterday when we took our trip."

_Now_ he knew why her attitude was bewildering him. "You don't seem upset over yesterday."

A flash of horror flickered across her face, and she turned her back to him. "Oh...yesterday..."

Jareth squinted his eyes and swung his legs over the side of the bed. There was something under her brief fear that he couldn't pin down in his mind. He stood and took a step closer to Sarah, wary of her actions.

"Were you trying to keep a hopeful attitude for the both of us, then?" He asked, racking his brain to figure out what the hidden emotion had been.

She glanced over her shoulder for a brief moment. "Y-yes, dear. Of course."

The king went still. He knew what had been displayed on her face under the flash of fear, but didn't want to believe it, almost refused to.

Beneath her fear had been _panic_.

She wasn't upset about yesterday because she hadn't _been there_, and she had no story prepared.

Fighting back his rage, he turned her around to face him. "I dare you to go another moment without revealing yourself. In fact, I hope you do, so I might be able to extract the illusion from your being slowly...painfully..."

Open fear now expressed on her face, she began trembling violently under the angered king's lethal stare. Reluctantly, the imposter banished the illusion and stood in her true form. Jareth shoved her away and fought back the overwhelming urge to beat her with no mercy.

His voice was low and coarse. "Penelope...you couldn't have done this by yourself, you don't possess the magic necessary to fool a king." His fury hidden under thin veil of serenity, he took her hand in his. "What is happening."

To afraid of him to lie, Penelope fought to maintain a steady voice as she spoke the truth. "A big man in a c-cloak told me why your brother claimed to love me. I was s-so mad I could barely see straight. Then he offered a way to get even." His grip tightened, and she continued. "I was supposed to pose as Sarah so you would never know she was gone."

His gaze had never been colder as his shoulders tightened. "Why would someone take her?"

"I don't know."

"You're lying to me."

"I'd be a moron if I lied to you now. I don't know why, I just know that she's in the deepest Oubliette in the Underground." Struck with a moment of bravery, she straightened her shoulders and stared him down. "You know, I don't regret doing this. I hope the bitch gets all the pain she deserves for taking a kingdom away from a woman worthy of ruling."

Before he could stop himself, he backhanded Penelope with so much force she was thrown into the wall. She slumped to the floor, unconscious, and Jareth called for the guards. Whoever did this, he didn't care what their motivation was, would pay dearly for endangering the king's one love, that much was gravely certain.

The Goblin King burst into the oubliette, his guard severely acute. Ahead of him sat Sarah, bound and gagged, but he wasn't about to bound forward and rescue her. Whoever had been powerful enough to fool a king's eyes was most definitely aware Jareth was present. Keeping every sense at it's highest level, the king scanned the dark room, waiting for even the slightest movement. Sarah was staring at him with wide eyes, saying something through her gag that came out incoherent.

The force bolt came out of nowhere, striking Jareth in the chest and knocking him backward. He had seen where the bolt had come from, but hadn't possessed the swiftness to dodge in time. Regaining his balance he threw three bolts to his left, where he had seen the attack originate. The trio of ripples tore through the air, and only the right one made contact as his foe had tried to move before the king could retaliate. The invisibility guise demolished, the king saw that Penelope had spoken the truth; a large, bulky man in cloak _had_ been behind it all, wth his face always hidden just enough the shadows to keep his identity secret.

The foe's deep voice echoed lightly off the walls. "Stay away from her, Jareth, the whore isn't worth it."

Losing control of his actions,the kingsent such an incredible force bolt at the enemy that, when contact was made, the bolt passed through the man's stomach and crashed into the wall behind him. As the fatally wounded stranger fell to the ground, blood poured from the whole and soon covered most of the floor. The adversary took his last, shallow breath, then ceased to move. Jareth approached the enemy's side and knelt down, glancing at Sarah for a moment, who was utterly mortified at what had just taken place, though he couldn't understand why she seemed so devastated.

The hood of the cloak still covered the man's face, as his head was to the side. The Goblin King pulled back on the cloth, and the last guise was lifted. The large, hulking form shrank into a smaller, thinner shape.

Jareth watched in shock as the man's ugly face melted away and became Lenora's.

His mother.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen:**

Th recently reunited couple sat across from each other at one of the study tables in the grand library, close but estranged. Sarah couldn't bring herself to look at the king, for every time she did she couldn't help but cry. Once the identity of her kidnapper had been revealed, the life in Jareth's eyes had faded and he had assumed a completely emotionless demeanor. He had freed her from the chains as if he was picking up a piece of paper; he treated her rescue as if it was completely ordinary. Then he summoned a crystal, told Hoggle to make the proper arrangements for a royal funeral, and took Sarah back to the castle.

Now they avoided each other's gaze like the plague, trying to avoid the inevitable event that was about to take place. Her heart ached for the king and his pain, but just could not bring herself to even glance at the side of the room he was on, even though she knew he needed comfort. More silence built up between them until the door opened and events seemed to rocket forward at break-neck speed.

Kevlin entered the library, instantly puzzled by his son's appearance. Sarah kept her eyes on her lap as the older king walked towards them and sat down in the only other seat available at the head of the table.

His brow furrowed with fresh worry as he addressed his eldest child. "Jareth...is there anything wrong? First you speak naught a word when you arrive, now you summon me an hour later and wear a most solemn expression. Tell me, son. Let me help. I have good news once you tell me the bad."

The Goblin King slowly looked up and into his father's caring eyes, still in denial of what he was about to say. "Father..." he said, his voice surprisingly quiet and meek, "I have done something that's...unforgivable." Kevlin stole a wondering peek at Sarah, and Jareth was quick to correct him. "No...it has nothing to do with Sarah. I..." His eyes fell to the table in front of him in shame. "Lorena has died."

Within half of a moment, the air in the room went stale and frigid. Sarah bit her lip to keep from crying, knowing the worst had yet to come. Kevlin's attitude shifted violently, from concerned to enraged in but a second.

Gripping the arms of his chair with murderous strength as his eyes narrowed. "You speak the truth?"

Jareth nodded, steadying himself for the next step. "She was the one who kidnapped Sarah. When I got there mother was under an illusion to look like a man, I had no idea-"

"Wait," Kevlin interrupted, now confused, "...what are you saying?"

"Before I knew who she was, we fought...I killed her."

Virtually all light in the library faded out as the table began to shake. "All she wanted was a child...an heir. She would have done anything to have that."

The truth finally revealed to him, Jareth stared at his father with a strong gaze. "She did."

Before he did anything destructive, the older king left the room in one quick movement, restoring the library to it's original condition. Sarah, her eyes wide, forced herself not to cry. She had no idea what would happen next, but now she knew what Lorena's intention had been: Replace a barren Sarah with a fertile one.

Jareth and Sarah didn't speak for almost a full hour. She noticed his manner slowly changing from hopeless to something else. His eyes became more and more restless as he tapped his foot repeatedly. Something was clearly bothering him, but he seemed to be waiting for something, some sign to either act on his gut feeling or stay where he was.

Suddenly, he was up and out of the room, spreading a sense of urgency throughout the room. Sarah followed him, struggling to keep up. They ran across the castle, Sarah always lagging behind, and soon they were at a large set of double doors. Jareth blew through them, then came to an immediate halt. She nearly ran into him before she could stop. Once she did, she saw what had made the king stop dead in his tracks.

Kevlin stood in the middle of his room, point a dagger at his chest.

The older king was no longer irate. His eyes reflected such an overwhelming sorrow that Sarah thought she might lose herself in his suffering.

For a brief moment all was still, then Jareth spoke, the strength in his voice having returned. "Father...I beg of you..."

"I should have known," Kevlin said, his voice wavering as tears welled up in his eyes, "The second we found out Sarah couldn't have children I should have known. There was nothing she wanted more. I knew what she was capable of...I could have stopped her." He paused to take a shaky breath. "I place no blame on you, my son. You couldn't have known. All you did was protect the one you love...it was more than I could do. I found the answer to your problems. Make Sarah your queen, Jareth. Train her to run your kingdom, give her your magic, then appoint her Queen of the Goblins. She will become your heir, and will then be able to stay with you for all time." Overcome with sobs, he took a moment to regain control of himself, then said, "I love you, Jareth, I've taught you all I know. Please, don't let me live with my wife's death over my head...I cannot bear it."

Kevlin plunged the dagger into his chest and crumpled to the ground. Jareth fell to his knees, bending over as if his stomach might betray him. Sarah knelt beside her love, afraid to touch him but yearning to hold him. Color began to drain from their surroundings, turning the Underground into a bleak, shaded realm. As tears poured down her cheeks, she realized why Jareth was hiding his face.

The Goblin King was crying.


	19. Chapter 19

**Side Note: **Last chapter, guys, and I loved writing every word of it. Let me know in your reviews if you want another fic (I have an idea, but it's not a sequel). Thank you _so_ much for reading it and supporting me, I appreciate it like no other.

**Chapter Nineteen:**

The Goblin King stood at the head of the two wooden caskets, one hand on each coffin, and stared ahead of him. He didn't look to his right, for to see Sarah now would make him lose control for sure, and he was too ashamed to look to his subjects on the left, so he kept his gaze directed straight out to nothing. In his all black attire, with his emotionless expression, anyone who didn't know what was going on would take him as sinister. He didn't mind, or care for that matter, what any uninformed being thought at that moment. He had to speak to his kingdom, and that was all that occupied his thought.

"Inhabitants of the Underground," Jareth began, not having to speak loudly in order for everyone to hear, "this is a ceremony for Kevlin and Lenora, two unsurmountable rulers that were respected throughout all kingdoms. They governed their home of Alaric with power, justice, and compassion, things I learned of only a few years ago and they upheld throughout their life. To say this is a royal tragedy would be understating their lives. While this day was inevitable, none were prepared for it, and as a result few ever truly expressed their love for the King and Queen." His grip on the caskets tightened and he clenched his jaw, clearly fighting back emotion with every ounce of strength he could possibly muster. "Now we all bid farewell to these great rulers, and I beg of you all, don't let a day pass where your hearts don't find them."

He bowed his head, hiding the few tears that had managed to fall from his eyes. Sarah stepped toward him, her arms reaching, and was struck with surprise when Jareth pushed her away and straightened up, his expression having returned to stone. He didn't even glance at her to show any sign of regret for shoving her back. Her already heightened emotions of grief now mixing with feelings of fury, she controlled herself long enough look at the coffins, blow a kiss, and curtsey respectfully before she turned her back on Jareth and ran for the castle, never looking over her shoulder.

Sarah sat at the head of the table alone in the grand dining room, knees to her chest, staring off into space. The double funeral had been unbearable without having to witness Jareth almost losing control in front of the kingdom, but once his mouth quivered and his eyes glossed over, she couldn't help herself. She had needed to hold him almost as much for her own sadness as his, and to be rejected so bluntly had sent her mind reeling. Having no idea what to think or feel, she continued to stare ahead, as Jareth had done, and tried to block out the world.

She had almost succeeded when she heard the doors open behind her, and the Goblin King entered the lavish room.

Sarah didn't have to turn around to know it was him, so she remained motionless. His steps echoed quietly throughout the dining hall, and she felt her muscles tighten as he drew near to her side, still dressed in his funeral clothing. He gently tossed a small stack of papers on the table in front of her, a feather pen following soon after.

"These documents will make you legal Queen," he said, his voice just barely louder than a whisper, "all you have to do is sign."

She calmly pushed the papers away from her, never once looking up at him. "I'm not sure if I want to be Queen anymore."

That got his attention. "What do you mean?" he asked, stepping in front of her so he could see her face clearly. "This is what we've been wanting."

She finally stood and stared him down. "There's no color in this world anymore, Jareth, you've seen to that. All the magic in the Underground has disappeared. There's no life here anymore."

"Kevlin and Lenora-"

"-are horrible losses, yes, but losses you shouldn't deal with alone. It took weeks for you to plan that ceremony, and for those weeks I didn't see a single moment of feeling come from you. Hell, Jareth, I hadn't even touched you until you shoved me away in front of every subject in the kingdom. What happened to the Goblin King? The one who lit up whenever I entered the room, the one who accepted my support, the one who treated me as an equal. You don't look at me anymore, you're not even looking at me now. Do I expect you to be emotionless when something like this happens? Of course not. But I expect to be a part of it, I _want_ to be a part of it. I love you, I want to be there for you, and I can't do that if you push me away whenever something terrible happens. I can't rule the Underground with you like this."

She turned to leave and he caught her by the arm, "Sarah..."

Facing him once more, she was surprised to notice that he was looking into her eyes. "Yes?"

"I didn't realize any of this," he said, eyes solemn but emotional, "I've been so busy with my own grieving that everything the world ceased to matter. I can't believe I shut you out, I don't know why I did. Their deaths just...I killed them, Sarah. I killed my own parents."

His thin veneer of control shattered, and the Goblin King took Sarah in his arms and sobbed into her shoulder, unapologetic about his sadness for the first time since Kevlin took his life. She held him close, tears flowing from her eyes as well.

He pulled away slightly so he could speak. "Please, Sarah, I've lost so much. If you go, I'll have nothing. I've been alone so long, I can't take it anymore. Stay, rule with me, you've always been my equal. I'm begging you, don't leave me. No more games, no more tricks. I should have done this the second you defeated my Labyrinth, but I was too much of a coward. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I'll have nothing if you leave."

With her eyes full of tears, she stepped away and leaned over the table, snatching up the pen and signing the papers. Letting the pen fall from her hand, she threw her arms around Jareth and kissed him deeply. He whipped off his gloves and held her face, caressing her skin and savoring every moment. This was how it was supposed to be, how it should have been, from the very beginning. Jareth understood that you can be a strong ruler and still possess vulnerability, in fact, it was necessary. He had finally become the man and king she always knew he could be, and there was nothing that could come between them, not now, and not ever.


End file.
